Hello, and welcome to another amazing month! It is officially July, which means, at least for us American users, Independence Day (Fourth of July)! There are many other great things about July, which we will go over in full in this month's edition of News & Noteworthy! So, kick back, relax, and grab this month's edition of SOUP, and LET'S GET STARTED!
This month's forum spotlight is focused on In Loving Memory. This forum is dedicated to Harry Potter characters we have loved and lost in the series. You can find threads for quite a few of our beloved characters who have passed over the years. It also includes a few threads where users can leave posts in memory of their own lost ones.
This month's thread spotlight is focused on Rest in Peace, Victims of Cancer. I chose this thread because I lost my mom to cancer back in December 2020. She had stage IV Colon cancer that had moved to her liver and lungs. Because of this, her immune system was very compromised, and she developed pneumonia. And the pneumonia ended up taking her long before any of us were ready to lose her. So, this thread means so much to me to be able to share her memory with those who will understand my loss.
This month's user spotlight is going to Connor Lestrange. He is a first-year Slytherin who made friends with me when I first joined HEX last year. He has given me so many nice things over the months and has been there when I didn't think I could continue with homework or anything else. He encouraged me to continue working on the schoolwork and even encouraged me when I was first starting here at SOUP. So, I want to give him a big thank you for being there for me as I became a member of HEX and a member of Slytherin.
This month's item spotlight is the Resurrection Stone. This stone was a major component in the first movie and book in the series. It also played a huge role at the end of the series when Harry resurrected his mom, dad, godfather Sirius, and mentor Lupin to help ease his fears about death while he waited for Voldemort to kill him with the Killing Curse. If this were a real item, I know I would want to see my mom again so I could say goodbye to her one more time and hug her one more time.
This month's quote is, "A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer." By Ralph Waldo Emerson. This quote speaks to me in volumes as it is so very true. A hero isn't all that much braver than an ordinary person. Especially my mother. Even though she knew she was dying, she made sure her daughters knew how much she loved us and would be as ready as we could be for when we finally lost her. She never stopped fighting, even when all seemed lost. The number of times she beat cancer before she finally passed will always be a reminder never to stop fighting. So, knowing my mom, she was only just a bit braver than I was when she passed because she was trying to stay strong for me, my sisters, and our dad.
This month's character spotlight is Lily Potter. Though she didn't have a major part in any of the books or movies, she was the woman who gave birth to Harry Potter, "The Boy Who Lived". She was his mother and, had she had the chance, would have raised him to be an amazing young man, I am sure. She reminds me of my mom, who would have done anything to keep us girls happy and safe. Lily did what she felt she needed to to keep Harry alive. And I feel that my mom would have done the same had she ever been put into that situation.
This month's holiday spotlight is Parent's Day, which falls on July 28th this year. I feel this would be the best holiday for me this year as it celebrates both parents, which would mean my mom and my stepdad. My mom was my best friend, so having a second holiday to celebrate her besides Mother's Day would be amazing. So, I will celebrate Parent's Day and celebrate in memory of my mother.
I hope you guys enjoyed this month's News and Noteworthy. I shed just a few tears as I thought of all the good times I had with my mom over the years and why she will always be a hero of mine. If you still have your parents around, please tell them you love them. We never know what is coming, and celebrating your hero, especially if it is a parent, is the best thing to do while they are still alive. I know I wish I could still celebrate my mom while she was alive. But I can celebrate her memory.
This is Kali, missing her hero and signing off! Happy Parent's Day, and celebrate your hero no matter what is going on in your life.