Joy and Inspiration from Fred & George Weasley

Today’s post is written by my Wings & Whimsy sidekick, Ali Mercier. Most of you know her by now, but if you don’t you’re about to discover a deep, deep love of hers… and the amazing insights that come from it. Take it away, Ali.  

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Have you read the Harry Potter books? If you haven’t, that’s amazing. I’m envious of you. You have so much magic to discover. Go out and buy yourself the first one.

Call me when you’re done; we’ll chat for hours.

But even if you haven’t, carry on reading… just know that a lot of this will sound like some sort of secret- no, magical- language.  That’s okay. You’ll understand those bits soon enough.  

I’m just about finished reading the 5^th book, The Order of the Phoenix, again, and it’s been delightful. Delightful because I get to visit old friends and memories of times gone by. Delightful because reading Harry Potter is snuggling up to my favorite comfort blanket. Delightful because every time I read them, I discover something new.

This read, I’ve been incredibly struck by a lot of new understanding around characters: the depth of tragedy for Severus; the true heart and shallow nature of Sirius; the pure goodness of Cedric; the immaturity of James; the unknowable layers and shades of Lily.

What has, perhaps, been most delightful has been falling deeper in love with the Weasley twins. George Weasley has always been one of my favorite characters, standing out from the bunch. Fred is the reckless, joy-loving leader of the two of them.

The Weasley twins are known for causing trouble. They are known for their jokes and (joy-full!) rebellion. We learn over the course of the books that, where everyone assumed they just liked blowing stuff up, they had been creating the whole time. They think prefects are prats and do not shy away from giving their siblings a hard-time.

And they know themselves. In this read of the book, I’ve enjoyed the Weasleys’ Wildfire Whiz-Bangs: the spectacular nature of those fireworks, the magical prowess that must have gone into them. I’ve appreciated the passion and defensive love for their family, when their father is attacked and their mother made fun of. Their steadfast loyalty to both Harry and Dumbledore, Harry with their diversion techniques, Dumbledore with the understanding that they have chosen not to go as far as to risk expulsion while he was headmaster, and their willingness to embrace it with the ascension of Umbridge.

I adore that they invented a portable swamp (WHY?!), and that Peeves sweeps into a bow when Fred orders, “Give her hell from us.”

That they fly off into the sunset.

Most of all, I adore that these two troublemakers have been right all along. They have known who they are, and have been unwilling to compromise on it from the beginning, outside forces be damned.

This is hitting home for me. How many times have I stopped doing what I loved, for the sake of doing something the right way? How many times have I shut down a dream, before it’s even off the ground, before seeing where it takes me? How many times have I let others decide my path for me?

I’m ready to take a page out of Fred-and-George’s book and embrace their joyful rebellion. They’ve inspired me to check back in on my true north, and seek my destiny, not the destiny of shoulds and supposed-tos.

Do you want to join me? Let’s ride off into the sunset together.

How can you “pull a Weasley” today?