"It is a form of seeing."

[Ziggy and Angelbaby]

Since we first began reading together, Babe and I have enjoyed The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, The Chronicles of Narnia, and - most recently - the His Dark Materials trilogy. Though I have cause to believe that Rainbow liked The Lord of the Rings best (she thought Gandalf and Samwise were especially awesome), it is His Dark Materials that has had the profoundest effect on me personally. I think the chief reason why will be easy to understand.

His Dark Materials is comprised of "The Golden Compass," "The Subtle Knife," and "The Amber Spyglass." Throughout these three books exist humans accompanied by dæmons. Not "demons," mind you: Dæmons. These dæmons are an inextricable, essential, and irreplaceable part of each and every human being. A dæmon is their human partner, and a human is their dæmon. But, at the same time, they are two separate, different beings. If a human is male, their dæmon is almost always female - and vice versa. They are two independently behaving halves of a whole, and the depth of their connection and bond is extraordinary. Attempting to force a person and their dæmon apart would be mutually, excruciatingly painful - both physically and emotionally - for both of them; and, in most cases, ultimately fatal.

Rainbow and I share a connection that I don't and simply couldn't have with anyone else. She knows my every thought. Senses my every feeling. I can talk to her without speaking, and she will understand. I can imagine something, and she can see it. I want to be with her always, and I know that she wants the same thing. I love her more than anyone or anything. She makes me whole. Without her, I would only be half-alive; half of myself.

So it's probably no wonder to anyone here that I drew many a parallel between people and their dæmons and Angelbabe and myself. Obviously Rainbow is uniquely herself; she is not a dæmon. But it was impossible for me to keep from making the comparison - where it counted. Where it meant something.

There are several moments through the trilogy that were particularly poignant to me. And Babe as well, I know. But there is one quote from "The Amber Spyglass" that I hope I never forget:

"It uses the faculty of what you call imagination. But that does not mean making things up. It is a form of seeing."

And that is as close and as eloquently as anyone may ever get to describing how I can see my Rainbow.