Another Post Already?

To those of you who know me well, this will not come as a surprise, but to those who don't, I am a HUGE book nerd. I don't often have time to read books, but when I do, I eat them up like chocolate-chip cookies (the chewy kind -- NOT those crappy crunchy ones).

I can't help myself; I simply love to read. Getting lost in a book is probably the most relaxing thing I can ever do. (And I wouldn't be a good English teacher if I didn't recommend it to all of you, too!)

Anyway, one of my all time favorite book series is Harry Potter. Now, no matter what your views are of this series (or books in general for that matter), I am proudly going on record stating that I am simply NUTS about them, and when the girls are old enough, I will definitely be urging them to read them too!

I love them for so many reasons, and I won't bog down this post with all of them right now. However, having recently had a conversation with my dad (he is currently reading them), I've been thinking about my favorite reason for liking them.

Of the many great things that J.K. Rowling does with her series, the coolest (and bravest in my opinion) thing that she does is champion a character trait that most others either forget or discredit all-together - Kindness.

In her books kindness means everything. Those who show kindness are considered great and even powerful. I would argue that Kindness is considered the most valuable character trait in her characters, and Dumbledore refers to its power many times throughout the books.

In fact, Harry's mother is known specifically for her kindness, and it is the trait that is shown as Harry's greatest asset in his fight against Voldemort.

In the end, it is small, seemingly random acts of kindness that ultimately cause the defeat of "You Know Who," and that made me so very happy to read.

It got me thinking; kindness is a trait that is so over-looked in our society today. In fact, a lot of people view it as a weakness. But what if we chose to act more kindly to others? What if that was our first reaction to a situation instead of a last resort?

What if I choose kindness the next time someone cuts me off in traffic? What if I choose kindness when I see someone walking the streets for a hand-out? What if I choose kindness the next time Stephen and I have a spat?

I might be viewed as weak by some, but could it be that I actually have more power than they think? Could my small, seemingly random acts of kindness lead to victories that I can't even see -- victories that affect more lives than I could ever know?

I dunno. I'm probably just spouting platitudes that you have all seen and heard before, but it's been on my heart lately, so I think I'll take a cue from MJ and "take a look at [myself] and make a change."

Blessings,
Jen

P.S. If you haven't yet, go read Harry Potter. You'll be glad you did!