The World is Changed

This is Galadriel's opening monologue from the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring movie.

(I amar prestar aen.)

The world is changed.

(Han matho ne nen.)

I feel it in the water.

(Han mathon ned cae.)

I feel it in the earth.

(A han noston ned gwilith.)

I smell it in the air.

Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.

Thinking about the movies and even the book will now be forever entwined with my memories of him. I have been a lifelong LOTR fan, having read the book multiple times since I first discovered it in elementary school. I was nervous and excited about them making the trilogy. I wanted to see the story told on the big screen, but I was worried that they would mess it up. From my perspective, they did a glorious job.

The movies came out long before I met him, but once we met, they were something I wanted to share with him. He was never a fiction reader--he found it tedious. But he loved movies, and I was sure this was a series he would love.

But he didn't. He gave me endless grief about how long they were, how slow they were, how silly the multiple endings were. He told me all the time that the story could be made in one movie.

Despite his disdain, he supported my love for the story. He bought me beautiful new bound editions of the books to replace my much-loved and much-worn copy. Whenever I wanted to do a LOTR movie marathon, he set aside whatever chunk of time it would take for me to get my fix.

My world is changed now. What once was is now lost. But I remember--grief is everywhere.