Oh to jump into the pages...

Do you ever wish you could meet some of the characters you read? You read their life's story or at least a part of it and come to admire and love them; you come to feel like they are old friends of yours; or maybe you come to really dislike them. Either way, a good fictional story has the ability to draw you in and bring out feelings as you connect or don't connect with its characters. I am a imaginative, sensitive/emotional, and relational type of person, which means that I am someone who can lose myself into a story to the point that I tune out what is really going on around me.

I'm the type of person who cries when people die in stories. Back when I was around 12-14 years old, I was reading through the Anne of Green Gables series. When I got to the last book, one of my favorite characters died unexpectedly. I was so upset and shocked, I threw the book across the room and started crying. That's me.

Anyhow, for the last two or three months, I've been listening to Jan Karon's Mitford series on CD, in my car. Listening to the story is as engaging as reading the books and I am smitten again with her characters. It got me thinking how there are some characters that I would really love to meet...if only they were real.

• Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy--I think I'd swoon if I ever met them (especially if Mr. Darcy looked anything like Colin Firth)...so it's probably good that I can't meet them. I love their quick-wittedness, their charm and sense of humor.
• Father Tim Cavanaugh--This dear man is epitome of wise thoughts, who is both sensible and compassionate. I would love to talk and listen and watch and learn from him.
• Juliet Ashton (and her Guernsey friends)--The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society book is a wonderful book to read and listen to on CD. As a writer, Juliet is a energetic and enthusiastic character who is interested in finding out the details of almost everything, which takes her to Guernsey where she meets a delightful cast of characters, with intriguing and sometimes heartbreaking stories. The only bad thing about this story is that it ends. I came to love these characters and wanted to know more about their lives only to find myself at the end of the book.
• Aslan--Meeting Aslan would be terrifying, exciting, incredible, and memorable. His character is magnetic, drawing me to him is a strong way. Yes, the Narnia books has many wonderful characters but none more so than Aslan. Seeing as his character represents God, I delight in the knowledge that one day I'll get be in the presence of the real "Aslan" and even now, get to engage with God regularly.

Not to mention: Jane Eyre, Harry Potter (and gang), Hamlet, Michael Hosea and Sarah (Redeeming Love), Anne Elliot (Persuasion), Jean Valjean (Les Miserables) and many many others!

Who would you want to meet?