Once Upon a Time...

 Have you ever noticed that all great stories begin with...Once Upon a Time?

Even if the words are not literally there like in beloved Fairy Tales, it is still implied.  By the way, all people should be reading Fairy Tales since they are not truly intended for just children!

When I read those words, I am filled with so many powerful emotions.  They can randomly fill me with hope, fear, and longing to go a journey where at the end the hero wins.  Oh and there should always be a dragon, because in any book worth sharing your precious time, love and energy, there should always be a dragon!

All stories begin with Once Upon a Time, even when we don't realize it.  I will give you examples of some of my favorites.

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.  

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

and just to prove that I do not just read authors who abbreviate their names—

Every seven year old deserves a super hero.  That's just how it is.  Anyone who doesn't agree needs their head examined.  

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You That She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

These are the opening lines to three of my favorite books.  They all have something in common.  They beg for you to enter into the story and be part of it.  Not just to go through the motions of turning the pages, but, to truly be part of the story.  To feel and breathe and live in the stories.  To experience the highs and lows, the good and evil, and of course the happy ending, because the best stories must have a happy ending!

That is what getting lost in a good story does for you.  It can take your breath away at times, making you laugh and cry—sometimes within the same paragraph.  You cheer for the hero, and at times finding yourself cheering for the one you believed to be the bad guy as well, because truthfully we all have many facets to our personalities and like a spectacular diamond held up in the sun, a good story will bring them all into the light.