The date was June 9th, 2004, when my youngest daughter was born. I can’t tell you how much she weighed, or how long she was, or even what time she was born, but I can tell you that from the moment I held her tiny body in my arms I was in love. My ex-wife and I had two daughters together previously. Both of them were beautiful babies, who grew up into beautiful young women, and my youngest, my Trinity, would be no exception.
Growing up in Victoria, BC, Trinity did, however, differ from her siblings in two very unique ways that would come to define her as she grew up.
The most obvious of the differences started to become noticeable around the time Trinity was ten years old when her mother began to notice distinct spots of discolouration on her skin. Soon after this discovery other anomalies started to surface. Parts of her dark, brown hair started to turn white, and during certain circumstances when she would watch television or look at computer screens her eyes would twitch and flutter. We came to understand that the discolouration in the skin and eyes was from a condition known as vitiligo. The movements her eyes would make were the result of petit mal seizures. Aside from these conditions further testing also revealed Trinity would suffer from costochondritis and juvenile-onset rheumatoid arthritis. In short…it was confirmed to us that our youngest daughter, at only ten years old, had contracted several forms of auto-immune disease.
Despite having these afflictions and the limitations that come with them, Trinity has always managed to keep her head held high. Early on she decided that whatever it was she was going through physically, she would not allow it to define who she was going to become as a person. Instead of wallowing in the self-pity of being sick Trinity had decided to forge her path and create a sense of self that she could be proud of. That’s when she discovered the wonderful world of Harry Potter and the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
I’m not entirely sure what drew her attention to the series, to begin with. Maybe it was the idea of children not much older than herself having fantastic powers. Or perhaps it was the mystical elements of the books, combined with the lore and pageantry that attracted her. Whatever the case I welcomed the idea of my daughter immersing herself in that world. Over the next several years, instead of outgoing her obsession, it grew stronger. While other children her age outgrow their interests over time she seemed to enjoy Harry Potter and his wizarding world more and more each year. This was, it seems, a blessing and a curse. Buying presents for a Harry Potter fan is relatively easy. But it presents a challenge. There are only so many puzzles, onesies, journals, pens you can buy someone. With that in mind, two years ago I set out on my most ambitious plan for a birthday present yet: Get J. K. Rowling to send my daughter a birthday tweet.
…to be continued…