chasing neverland.

I remember when it was on Nick and I would rush home from school, to watch it with my two little cousins, who my mum would look after on weekdays. We were always super excited and into it. 

I suppose I grew out of it though and it wasn’t until last year that I decided to watch them all again - this time to the end. I was obsessed. Sometimes my mum and brother would catch bits of it and get sucked in as I was watching. Then it finished. 

Then a few months ago, I got a Netflix account and there it was. All three seasons. I was still waiting on Legend of Korra to come out, so I watched them all again, lived them all again. It was as if I had never seen it before - I couldn’t get enough. Then it was over. Again.  I’ve never re-watched a show in it’s entirety so many times. Never felt the urge to and I don’t imagine I could ever watch it in the same way I watch The Last Airbender. 

These past couple of weeks, I’ve been looking after 7 kids and being a mixture of girls and boys between the ages of 5 and 8, they all have different ideas of which they would like to watch. More often than not, they’d pick things they’d already seen. I wanted to show them something new. So I suggested The Last Airbender. A cople of them had seen the movie and weren’t interested, but I ensured them that the tv show was MUCH better. They were hooked. 

These kids are the sons, daughters, nephews and nieces of my mum’s best friend, whose father was ill. He passed away on Monday. Whilst these kids knew who I was, they didn’t really know me as every time they had met me/I had looked after them, it was for a couple of hours and it wasn’t very often. One of them in particular, though knowing me all his life, never really called me by name. I don’t think he ever remembered it. He once referred to me as “Auntie Anj’s Thingy - the Girl one”. Now, he knows my name. And more than that, he likes me. When I told them they could keep watching as many episodes as they could, back to back, before they had to go home,  he ran up to me and gave me a huge hug and said “You’re the bestest ever!”. I have never actually seen him give that much affection to anyone. He’s the type of kid who tries to keep his cool.

Watching them watch Aang, Katara and Sokka is so nice. They laugh and they seem pretty happy and oblivious to what’s going on with their grandfather, with their family. They hate Zuko, but they’re still on season one. They don’t understand when I tell them he’s my favourite character. 

I told them I’d get them all three seasons on DVD, so they can watch them at home. They’re pretty excited - according to my mum, they’ve been upset that they haven’t been able to come over recently and watch it.

I don’t know what this ramble is. I guess it’s a Team Avatar appreciation post. It’s just nice to see that spark in a kids eye and it’s a nice feeling to know that you introduced something special and enjoyable into someone else’s life.  

Thank You Team Avatar.