Favorite Humans

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer! I thought for this blog post I'd do something a little bit different and share with you some of my favorite humans. These three ladies (that I somewhat attempted to draw -- hopefully with no offense to any of them) are truly remarkable people coming from different generations, all of whom I adore. They have such unique stories, so different from one another, but are women that share so many similarities; one being that they have been, and still are such inspirations to many, including myself.

J.K. ROWLING

J. K. Rowling has been my inspiration for writing ever since I picked up her first Harry Potter novel. She has a way of capturing her readers' interest with her style and taking them to a whole new world of wizards and magic. The books she wrote forever hold a spot close to my heart like they do for her millions of readers. 

However, it is not just her writing that's inspiring. The story of her life is just as inspiring. I watched a documentary about it called 'Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story' and I suddenly wasn't just a fan of her books anymore; more than just a literary sense, I became a fan of her.

Ever since she was a little girl she wanted to be a writer. Although, she was told it wasn't practical which is a phrase I'm sure a lot of people can relate to. She grew up and settled into a job she wasn't quite satisfied with. Then, one day on a train ride, she misheard the lady selling jellybeans say, "spinach, liver, and tripe," and from that, Harry Potter and the Wizarding World was born.

Rekindling her love of writing despite all of the up and downs of her life, living off welfare cheques and being a single mom taking care of her daughter, she continued to overcome adversity. Rowling always bounced back up even at her lowest, and that's how she got 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone published. That's how she was able to share her love of writing with all of her readers today. 

MALALA YOUSAFZAI

I first heard about her and her story when I was in grade six. My teacher who was one of my favorites heard her story and decided to share it with the class. I didn't really understand feminism at the time -- what it truly meant. I felt a strong dislike towards the idea that boys always thought they were better than girls; hence, all the boys versus girls games we had at recess.

When Malala Yousafzai came along, I began to truly understand the kinds of injustice women were facing all over the world. Everything she has done in the fight for girls education invokes admiration not just for the feminist qualities she has, but also that of her courage, intelligence, and passion as a person.

JOAN OF ARC

This amazing saint is the one I chose as my patron during the sacrament of confirmation. Talk about breaking social norms in 15th century France by becoming a female soldier. She was a truly faithful person who served the Lord without qualms during her lifetime, and performed miracles thereafter. "If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me," were words she said that have struck a chord in me. Joan of Arc had such trust for the Lord's plans for her and therefore, she inspires me to have the same faith.

Thank you for reading this blog post! I hope these people can inspire you just as they have inspired me. Do let us know if you want anymore posts like this. 

Stay gold,

Anne