"We hold you in our hearts today, and every day we remember your smile. We will love you and miss you always."

These were the first words released by former Glee star, Lea Michele, following the untimely death of her star-crossed lover and co-star, Cory Monteith. We know him better as Finn Hudson, captain of the William McKinley football team, and leading dreamboat of the Glee Club.

Cory will always remain that young boy who stole our hearts with his goofy half-smile, and broke them with his rendition of "I'll Stand By You." Cory possessed incredible potential, and not only was his career just beginning, but so was his life.

Rumor had it, Cory and Lea were becoming more serious than ever. The plan was to move in together as soon as they returned home from their separate trips. The trip that changed everything ended in Cory's fatal overdose on July 13, 2013. Sources reported that Lea was "hysterical," and "completely inconsolable." Naturally, this shattered our hearts. We had grown up with "Finchel," and could empathize considerably with Lea's mourning.

I decided to watch Glee again, just to discover how incredibly much I have been missing Cory's presence in my virtual reality. It bites. Even the most logical, detached people (me) can become basket cases hearing Finn's words to Rachel, leading up to his real and fictional death. In retrospect, Cory's character shared some moments with us that, if we had known where the story was headed, would send us into inconsolable hysterics, as well.

1. Finn bought Rachel a star and basically alluded to right now.

In this romantic display, Finn proves that there is still hope for the male race. He says to Rachel, "I named it Finn Hudson, because there's already a star named 'Rachel Berry'...so I just wanted to make sure that whenever she feels lonely, she can look up to the sky and, no matter where I am, she can know I'm looking down on her." Who ever would have supposed this dialogue to become reality?

2. Finn's dad died of a drug overdose.

This is one of Finn's most difficult challenges, which ultimately leads to his enlistment in the Army. When Finn's mom admitted this sad truth to him, chills covered my spine. It was as if I were seeing Finn shatter, recognizing Cory's future. To some degree, Cory could relate to this plot line. He had admittedly struggled with a drug addiction since the age of 19. Perhaps he was fighting an internal battle on camera, one that the audience was unaware of.

3. "Stay away from my future wife."

Remember when we found out Brody was a hooker and Finn became a knight in shining armor? He fought for Rachel's honor and banished the beast. Just before leaving Brody in his own puddle of blood, he cautioned, "Stay away from my future wife." The words are saturated with pain and unfulfilled potential; at the time, Cory probably assumed he would marry Lea.

4. The Quarterback

There are a couple of lessons we can learn from the tribute episode dedicated to Cory, though he didn't utter the words. The first of these comes from Kurt. At one point, he tells Santana, "Shame is a wasted emotion." I believe those words were said for the audience, not for Santana's character. Is the nature of Cory's death tragic? Yes. Is it a shame-worthy offense? Maybe. However, the only shame of his death is the loss of a life that ended too soon. We, as the fans, are encouraged to remember and honor Cory for who he identified as before the tragedy. He was kind, corny, adorable, spirited-- nothing short of all things wonderful.

The second lesson comes from Coach Beiste, who tells Noah Puckerman to "Have a nice line." This simple statement reminds us that it's not our birth nor final moments that matter most, it's everything in between.

Not to mention, Brad (Named for the producer of the show who played the piano accompaniment) came back specifically for the tribute episode. "Brad" had recently left the school, and did not return except to play in "The Quarterback."

5. Fin

There are some who will never revive from Cory's death, nor from the deaths of Michael Jackson, Robin Williams, Paul Walker, etc. The influence these men had on our lives will outlast the initial shock and pain, but, as Lea Michele reported in an interview, Cory would have wanted her to keep living her life. There is no lesson or rationale for his kind of tragedy, but, as "Finn" once said, "The show's gotta go all over the place, or something."