From “Julie’s Gems”: September 2003

As you may or may not know, my favorite movies (and books) are “The Lord of the Rings” parts 1 and 2 (I won’t read part 3 until the movie comes out). There is so much about them that is perfect. Tolkien’s imagination and skill are beyond what I could ever hope to possess, and I marvel each time I re-familiarize myself with the story. There are many themes woven through the rich tale, but I want to focus on the story of the hobbits. The main hobbit you will get to know is Frodo Baggins. He is the one who bears the responsibility of the fate of the world through the possession of a little ring full of enough power to destroy the world. Although it is Frodo’s intention to set off on his journey to destroy the ring alone, he is quickly joined by three other hobbits Sam, Merry, and Pippin, whose loyalty and brave hearts shine through. Eventually the 4 hobbits are joined by 5 others to carry out the quest to destroy the ring, and thus creates the title of part one, “The Fellowship of the Ring.”
Those of you familiar w/ the story know that the fellowship falls apart at the end of part one, and the nine companions split into 3 separate adventures. Frodo is now paired with Sam alone (not counting the antagonist, Gollum). This is where I’m finally coming to the reason behind my column. You see, in part 2, Frodo is struggling w/ the burden of the ring as it wrecks havoc on his heart, mind, and soul. Frodo would surely have gone crazy if not for Sam. Sam always manages to pull Frodo back to reality. He is the true anchor to Frodo’s sanity. In my opinion, Sam is the real hero of the story. He shines as the hero not just by being brave, but by his act of friendship, loyalty, and encouragement.
Hopefully you have a friend like Sam, and even more hopefully, you are that type of friend. It’s not too likely any of us will be asked to take a treacherous trek to drop a dangerous ring into the fires of Mordor, but we can still prove our friendship by simply being there. It may not seem like much, but trust me, it is.