31 People(s): Imaginary Friends

Since Saturdays are the hardest days for me to write, I decided I’m gonna keep it light and funny on these days. I don’t do well with doing anything structured on unstructured days like Saturdays. And most Saturdays I pack full with as many fun and life giving things as I can with all the people you’re hearing about! Today I went to a pumpkin patch, went on a hayride, ate lunch with people, washed clothes and sheets, cooked a meal that I’ll deliver tomorrow for a friend with a new baby, and ate dinner with more people! And the sillier light-hearted posts were already planned, I just moved my outline around a little to make those posts fall on Saturdays. So today you get to hear about my imaginary friends!

I get really involved in the lives of fictional characters y’all. REALLY INVOLVED! I can admit to finding myself multiple times wanting to pray for different things FICTIONAL characters were going through. And oh the things I’ve learned from them! Harry Potter and his friends taught me to love reading. Meredith Grey and her friends (though I no longer watch them) gave me some insight on grief once (I wrote about it a billion years ago). Lorelai Gilmore has taught me more lessons that I can even count! (Coffee is life. Always have some good clothes that are clean and don’t have to be dry cleaned. Live in a quirky town. Etc etc etc.) Coach Taylor taught me so many applicable life lessons in relation to team life (aka life lived in community), made me push myself harder and feel like I was winning a state championship football game when I was ellipticaling, and forever ingrained on my soul that with clear eyes and a full heart you just CAN’T LOSE!

For real though, book reading and tv show watching (particularly when the tv shows have great character development) can be quite therapeutic! I think it’s possible to have unhealthy relationships and addictions to tv watching because literally everything can be used for bad. BUT, I think it’s possible when balanced and paired with other healthy activities for it to be a good, relaxing, and fun outlet. And I really do think there are practical lessons to be learned everywhere, even in the lives of fictional characters (along with a lot of lessons to be filtered out). I just really do love them y’all! And so I’m going to tell you about my favorites.

Harry Potter. Forever and always. FOREVER! I used to HATE reading. I wouldn’t read books. They didn’t engage me and it wasn’t fun to me. Micki made us watch the movies, which we of course loved, and then forced me to read the first book promising I would love it. I didn’t believe her, but she was right! I love the books. I love the movies. I love the fandom. I love Harry Potter world. I LOVE IT ALL! So many beautiful life lessons and classic good vs. evil battles. I own all the movies (and books) and will forever and always still watch them on ABC Family weekends, commercials and all. I have Harry Potter tattoos (tiny cute baby ones). I have a Hogwarts sweatshirt. I have Hufflepuff paraphernalia. I’m a Harry Potter dork and don’t care! Seriously, #HarryPotterForever.

Gilmore Girls. OBSESSED! Best show ever. I’ve watched it all the way through 3 times and just started a 4th. Ultimate love. The utmost quirk. I mean I basically live where I live because it reminds me of Stars Hollow.

Nashville. Oh the drama. I LOVE IT! You just can’t beat singing + drama.

Friday Night Lights. All the heart eyes forever. I just recently made my way through this show. I never thought I’d like it because I hate football, but it’s so not about the football! I wish Coach Taylor was my personal life coach. I wish Tammy Taylor was my mentor. And Tim Riggins! Nothing else needs to be said. Texas isn’t on my list of places I’d never live, but it’s also not at the top of the places I’d love to live list either. But I’d be all Texas Forever any day for Tim Riggins.

Parenthood. All the teary eyes for this one! Such a wholesome show. And it really did help me cope with my dad having cancer. They approached real life topics in a real way and it was really beautiful (and tearful!).

Food Network! The Food Network makes me dream and inspires my cooking so much. I don’t know if I’d love cooking as much as I do if it wasn’t for Food Network. My current fav Food Network show is The Kitchen! Tons of practical kitchen tips, but also the hosts just have excellent chemistry.

Scandal. This is just one of my guilty pleasure shows. I learn nothing from this show other than how to conspiracy theorize and that Olivia Pope is the ultimate BA. It’s also one of a handful of shows that I watch that I CANNOT stop watching because I must know how it ends.

Once Upon a Time! This is probably my favorite show currently on. I love it so much. I’ve always loves fantasy and fairy tales and magic. It combines it all so perfectly with great twists and incredible character development. It feels like watching a big screen movie every week! And TONS of life lessons/good vs. evil lessons/messages of hope. LOVE.

My Big Fat Fabulous life could be categorized as a guilty pleasure too, but I love Whitney Way Thore! I don’t like most weight loss shows because I think they preach a terrible message. I love this show though because she is trying to lose weight for health reasons and to be her healthiest self, but she loves herself and her life at her current size, not at a dream goal size!

Gossip Girl. Definitely another guilty pleasure show. No spectacular life lessons, but it had a way of making you appreciate your besties (and that you didn’t grow up in that life). Also another one that I had to keep watching to know the end! And I guessed who it was by the way.

Pretty Little Liars. Guilty pleasure. Stuck. Can’t stop. Don’t want to stop. MUST KNOW THE END! And I watch it with my besties so it’s super fun.

Impractical Jokers. Oh man, I love this show. It’s not a great show to watch with mixed company, but it’s hilarious to watch with your roommate. It’s a perfect short show to watch while we eat dinner too. And Q and Sal aren’t too bad to look at either.

The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Another guilty pleasure. It scares the heck out of me at times, but I love it.

Fun additional fact: Micki’s husband says I won’t watch/like a show unless it has a crushworthy character on it. It’s a pretty true statement.

This is part of my 31 People(s) I Love series. I’ll be writing about 31 people/peoples that I adore!Click here if you would like a list of all the posts in this series.