How to Emulate Lily Evans

Focus on the good in life. Avoid thinking about life in terms of “always” or “never” statements.^[3] Even in the darkest times, Lily believed that love had power, and she had hope for her son, Harry. Her positivity brought hope to everyone around her, especially James Potter.^[4]

Offer your support to people who don’t seem to have friends. If there is someone at your school, for example, who seems kind of lonely, try to get to know them. Look for people who get left out of activities or who have just moved to the area–they might be lonely and need a friend.^[5] If you feel too shy for this, take a deep breath and relax. No one is going to judge you for trying to be kind!

• If they don't seem to want to talk, just shrug and say, “You can always come talk to me if you need anything!”
• Lily was a great friend to lonely people like Severus Snape.

Tell people to stop if they’re bothering you or someone you care about. Lily didn’t tolerate bullying and had no problem standing up for herself! When James bullied Severus, she showed no fear. She walked right up to them both and told James to stop.^[6] Practice saying things like:

• “Please don’t talk to me that way.”
• “That hurts my feelings. Please don’t say that.”
• “Leave my friend alone. You’re making both of us uncomfortable.”

Be loyal to the people you love. When someone in your life is struggling, let them know you’re there to help. When Harry held the Resurrection Stone and he saw his parents again, Lily told him she would be with him always and stay by his side.^[7] Here are some other ways to be a good friend or sibling:^[8]

• Say something like, “Hey, I’m your friend, and I’m always here for you.”
• Listen to your friends without judgment or interruption.
• Do something nice for your friend–bring them a small gift or help them out with a chore they don’t like.

Acknowledge your feelings when you get hurt. When you feel bad, try and name the feeling whether it’s “sadness, “anger,” or something else.^[9] Lily was tough and sensitive at the same time. For instance, she got really sad when Severus called her a “mudblood,” but she didn’t hold it against him.

Learn as much as you can, but avoid showing off how smart you are. As Horace Slughorn said, Lily Evans was “one of the brightest I ever taught.” He called her vivacious and charming, but Lily was modest, too. To act modestly, avoid randomly bringing up good grades or test scores. Talk about your achievements in a matter-of-fact way.^[10]

Be a little sassy every once in a while. Horace Slughorn mentioned that Lily used to give “cheeky” responses back to him in class. While it’s important to respect your teachers and friends, you can joke around from time to time. Just remember to keep your jokes kind! When in doubt, joke about funny situations or yourself rather than poking fun at others–Lily wouldn’t want to hurt other people. Here are a few jokes:^[11]

• “How does Harry Potter get rid of a rash? … With quit-itch!”
• “How does Voldemort enter a room? He slithers in.”
• “Why does Neville always use two bathroom stalls? Because he has a long bottom.”

Show off your natural beauty. Based on the Harry Potter movies, Lily seemed to be the kind of person to not wear a ton of makeup. You can skip makeup altogether if you like, or opt for light coverage foundation, some natural colored eyeshadow, some mascara, and if you'd like, some light blush. It's definitely enough!

Get some Gryffindor robes and a wand. Lily also had beautiful, ginger hair and emerald green eyes that Harry later inherited when he was born. Consider dying your hair red or getting green contacts.^[12] However, it’s more important to emulate Lily’s spirit than her looks–what’s on the inside is what counts.