Monday, November 22, 2010

Hermione Is In the House

My husband paid me a compliment last night. As we talked about the new Harry Potter movie we had just seen, he said, "You are a lot like Hermione." At first, I assumed he was comparing my bushy hair to hers, but he wasn't. He was referring to her character and abilities. I take this as a huge compliment because even though Harry is the chosen one, the hero, Hermione is really the one who saves Harry and crew repeatedly.

From the early books through the latest installment, Hermione has many times over pulled out a spell or charm which quickly changes the outcome of what could be devastating situations. She always is the one who comes up with the plan of action. Hermione, through her logical thinking, pieces together seemingly unrelated or othewise cryptic information to solve the next doom-ridden segment of Harry's tumultuous life. And her piece de resistance, Herminone's beaded bag, from which she produces anything and everything that you could possibly need at the precise moment when you need it most. Hermione has it all.

I do all that too. Granted, we are not stalked by the most heinous evil the world has known, and thankfully, no one in our house is doom-ridden. But our lives can be a bit complicated and the planning, logical thinking and sense of calm needed to keep it all moving and in the right direction is what I do. Without me, as Hermione of the House, the evils of male disorder would take over and things would fall apart. No one would bathe. No one would be able to find anything. No healthy food would be consumed.  No one's needs would be met, as they are now, before they even knew they had the need. As Hermione of the House, I keep the evils of poor hygiene, excessive clutter and lackluster nutrition disarmed. Expelliarmus!

And when we leave our home, I have my own beaded bag like Hermione. Although it's not beaded. It's a faux leather satchel from Target. But it does seem to have similar magical properties to Hermione's bag. I produce all manner of desired and unexpected things from it. Gum (any flavor), Tums, toothpicks, salves for all uses, phone numbers, extra layers of clothing, Swiss Army knife, tape, Sharpies. As we travel further from home, the items in my bag become more varied and of greater need. Magazines for all tastes and reading levels, extra batteries, Benadryl, Raisinettes, underwear (you never know...).  Accio!

I believe my beaded bag skills developed quickly, almost overnight, in the year 2000, when my first son was born. Only then it was called a diaper bag. Don't all moms have a magic bag?

My husband was also implying other similarities between Hermione and me. Hermione is a bright light in Harry's life. She's grounded. In the midst of chaos, she provides a reminder of greater purpose and calm. That hasn't always been the role I've played in our relationship; he's been the Hermione of the Relationship at times in the past too. Someone always needs to play that role. But for now, it's me. In times of upheaval, someone needs to conjure the innermost positive feelings to see the truth of a situation. Expecto Patronum!

Post Disclaimer: I realize I am an adult using Harry Potter references in comparison to my own life. Just be thankful it's not Twilight I'm using as a reference point.

4 comments:

  1. Oh, I'm very thankful about you not using the whole Twilight thing! :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Since my siblings chimed in, I thought I would too...except I don't know anything about Twilight. But I did have a bag like yours, and while my boys are now adults, I still carry a bag...just much smaller.

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