Beauty and Tragedy
So, I finally watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower this weekend. (And uh, unrelated, but Emma Watson = amazing).
I read the book years ago, maybe even in middle school (I really can’t remember). It is one of my favorites. Beautifully written.
But it is heavy. (Warning –> spoiler alert) I remembered that the protagonist, Charlie, was sexually abused. But I had forgotten about all the other elements of the book, including struggles of LGBTQ youth, suicide and domestic violence. It’s really heavy, haunting stuff.
But, hey, I don’t mean to bum you out. The story is also one of friendship and love, and the ending is a happy one. The characters overcome their obstacles, and the reader is left believing that they will survive because they have each other.
Anyway, as I sat on the couch crying, watching the credits roll, my mind started racing with thoughts and feelings (because this is my reaction to pretty much everything).
Why? I thought. Why is there evil? Why are some children abused and others are not?
Why are some kids born into poverty and abuse while others are born into wealth and privilege?
Why did my best friend lose her Dad to cancer and I still have mine?
Why is the world unfair? Why do bad things happen?
Now, okay, these are big questions…and I don’t have the answers. I don’t think anyone has the answers, and many different people seek many different ways to find peace with these tough questions.
On Death and Friendship
“It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.” ~Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The last couple weeks are kind of a blur.
I had several different topics I wanted to dive into. Some of them were timely, and I was hoping to write about them while they were still relevant…
Christmas, the incredibly frustrating debate in Washington over payroll tax cuts, ringing in 2012, a couple segments I saw on PBS Newshour that I thought were interesting….
But then my best friend’s dad died. And everything just kind of stopped.
From Pinterest
When I say that Lindsey Jenkins is my best friend, most people can probably relate. Haven’t we all had a best friend at some point in our lives? Maybe even some of us have had more than one. For some people, a best friend might change often, from month to month or year to year. I’ve probably described other people in my life as best friends, but the truth is that no one has ever been a better friend than Lindsey.
There’s something about growing up with someone, about going through all the trials and tribulations that come with being a kid, pre-teen, teen, and then young adult. There’s something irreplacable and indescribably valuable about what I have with Lindsey, and it’s something I share with no one else in my life but her.