Of Fairytales And More

Growing up, I have been an avid reader. Call it a merit or vice but I always get very involved in whatever I read. I dissect and analyse the characters and story so minutely and so quickly, that I don’t even realize it has happened.

I was often accused of ‘wasting my time’ reading ‘mindless fiction’. I usually never argued because I knew, non-readers could never understand. They could never understand how it is a boon. My reading habit has affected and moulded the person I am today. It has helped me evolve into a more mature person (if I may say so), a better thinker.

Every now and then, I pick up my childhood fairytale books and they restore my faith in goodness. They make me believe in Princes Almost-Charming (nobody’s perfect, right?) and in true love. In today’s life, that is a whirlwind, fairytales ground me and remind me of the existence of innocence.

I have probably learnt the most from my favourite franchise- Harry Potter. This series taught me the importance of bravery to face fears, loyalty and friendship. It taught me that it’s okay to dream because it’s only in our dreams that we enter a world that is completely our own. It taught me the lesson of self-acceptance. And most importantly, that we may be victors in the battles of our lives but we really never win unless we are willing to sacrifice what we hold dear.

There are some stories that inspire us, others that guide us. Some teach us to pick ourselves up after we fall, others broaden our horizons. They teach us patience, they teach us kindness. Others teach us the importance of cleverness for survival. Each story has something to tell, it’s about what we really understand of it, that makes all the difference.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda