On my wall is a drawing of Hayao Miyazaki surrounded by some of his most beloved characters. I have added a quote that I love - "Is one different at 18 or 60? I believe one stays the same." To me, these words sum up your magic, Mr Miyazaki. Magic can happen to anyone, at any age. Inside there is always the young, hopeful spirit that never changes, never dies. Appropriately, Howl's Moving Castle was the first Studio Ghibli film I ever saw, and I was no longer young. Sophie is still my most beloved character, more spunky and and full of life in old age than she was in her youth, learning to travel and have adventures and fend for herself. I adore her. It seems to me that she embodies the spirit of youth in the aged body. Even the Witch of the Waste, for all her wicked ways, was a delightful lesson in staying young at heart.
I loved Studio Ghibli films so much that my daughter bought me a collection for my birthday - my 67th birthday.. I fell in love with Porco Rosso just like Fio and Gina. Just like them I saw beyond the pig to the man inside. This is more Miyazaki magic. Appearance is nothing when the heart is beautiful. Of course I loved Spirited Away - No Face was me, looking for a place to belong. The Baron was my hero in Whisper of the Heart and The Cat Returns. I cried through Grave of the Fireflies and laughed through My Neighbours the Yamadas, and I lost myself in your vision of the world of Totoro, where kindly nature spirits guard over children. From every one I learned lessons of kindness and compassion. I have been alive so long and yet I never knew, until you showed me, what is possible. But I still stubbornly refused to believe that a movie - a mere entertainment - could change your life, until I saw Only Yesterday. No, you didn't write or direct it, but it came from the source of beauty that you created at Studio Ghibli - and I can tell you that this movie changed my life. I watched Taeko travel back in time to the pivotal events of her life, and her younger self follow her as she ventured to new horizons and fulfilled the longings that had always been in her. heart - and I saw how our lives are shaped, and often warped, by well meaning people that turn us away from our dreams. I took it to heart, I relived all the pivotal moments of my life - and finally I understood. I wept for the child who lost her way, but I can rejoice for the old lady who found it again. Thank you, Mr Miyazaki, the films of Studio Ghibli, whether you created them or not, have opened my heart and given me courage. I may look like old Sophie, but inside I am still 18.