(A stack of some of my J.K. Rowling books)

It’s no secret that J.K. Rowling is my hero.

I met Harry Potter when I was 8 years old. Hogwarts was there for me for every unhappy moment of my life, every upsetting event, every disappointment, hurt, and letdown. The Harry Potter books solidified my young desire to write books.

J.K. Rowling herself has such a fascinating story. She is open about her struggles with poverty, depression, single motherhood, divorce, the abuse she has escaped from, and her own love of writing. She is a person who has survived, conquered, and who now advocates helping others. She has started charities with her fortune, donated to charities, and spoken out about social injustices.

From a distance, and though I have never met her, J.K. Rowling has influenced me.

Perhaps like most of you, I have often wondered what I would say or do if I met my hero. If I could speak to her, what would I say?
I would thank her for not giving up on her dreams. I would thank her for inspiring me for most of my life. I would thank her for not giving up on Harry even when she was rejected, even when she lived on well fare as a divorced single mother with depression who was typing her novel out on an old typewriter because she couldn’t afford a computer. I would thank her for writing something meaningful with valuable content and excellent storytelling.

I will probably never get the chance to thank J.K. Rowling personally. She may never hear my name – after all, I’m just one out of billions of her fans. But that’s okay, because there are other ways to thank our heroes.

Our heroes have become our heroes because they have done something we deem worthy of our attention, loyalty, and admiration. The biggest ‘thank you’ that we can give them is by carrying on their torch.

I say ‘thank you’ to someone who may never hear it every time I champion her cause. Every time I write, every time I promote child literacy, every time I value love, every time I stand up for acceptance, every time I fight hate – I say ‘thank you’ to J.K. Rowling.

Who do you admire? What have they done to deserve your admiration? And most importantly – how are you thanking them?