"One Tree Hill" is a television drama series that I can honestly say changed my life for the better. Not only was it a fascinatingly addicting television show, but it also featured many life lessons that can be beneficial to everyone.

1. We all experience death differently

Death is probably one of the most confusing things to ever happen during our life. We are all aware that one day we will die yet when we lose someone we still can’t understand why it has to happen. Throughout the series of "One Tree Hill," many characters lose their lives. Keith, Quentin, Ellie and Dan are all people that lost their lives too soon for some people to deal with.

Seeing how the characters deal with death really opened my eyes to how people handle the situation at hand. Some get angry, like Haley when she lost her mom. She would yell at her family when they were just trying to help her cope. Some hold on as much as they can like Peyton when she lost Ellie. Peyton kept her jacket and wore it to always have that piece of her. Some people ignore it and try to pretend there is nothing wrong, like when Clay was blocking out memories with Sara and not telling people in his life about her. Others just get depressed and try to move on even though they know a huge part of their life is missing, like Lucas when he lost Keith.

No one is going to react the same to death. We have to handle it in our way and others need to respect that. From this show I also learned that people are there to help and even if you feel like you’re facing it alone, you’re not.

2. Long distance relationships are rough

When you are romantically involved in a relationship you feel as if there is no way that something could ever tear the special bond apart; that’s where you might have underestimated the power of distance. When one of the people in a relationship moves away, whether close or far, it's going to put a toll on your relationship. When Haley decided to go on tour, she left Nathan behind and it hurt their relationship without a doubt.

However, after watching this show, I learned that there are ways to make it work. There has to be communication about everything. You have to be honest with each other about everything going on. When Haley and Nathan weren’t talking during the tour, Nathan got so upset that he crashed a race car and ended up in the hospital. If Nathan was able to tell Haley about how he was feeling and Haley was open-minded and willing to listen and understand, the terrifying incident could have been avoided. So don’t keep secrets, and act as if they aren’t so far away, that way the relationship can stay fresh and there are no misconceptions or misunderstandings.

3. Don’t judge a book by its cover

It is the oldest saying but is probably more true than anyone wants to believe. If we judged people solely on how they looked or how they acted on the outside, I bet we wouldn’t have as many friends as we think. It is too judgmental of us to not ever think that when we get to know people like really get to know people, they may be someone whom we would love to have in our lives.

For example, Brooke Davis in high school. People saw her as the slutty party girl with no potential, but that’s all she let people see. Her real friends saw that deep down she was so much more than that. She was so brave and had the biggest heart. She is someone you would want by your side when things get rough. Imagine if Haley had just judged Nathan for what she thought he was? They would never have had their perfect life together. Everyone deserves to have a chance to really get to know them because they might surprise you.

4. People always leave

How Peyton of me to say this, but it is actually a big reality that came to me after watching this show. It might not be the most positive message but once you accept it, it becomes easier to deal with. In your lifetime you will meet a large group of people, some more beneficial to your life than others, but the sad thing that we can’t change is that some of those people are going to leave you. During the season, we had to watch poor Peyton suffer as so many people who got close to her left her. Both of her moms, Jake and Derek, are just a few to name.

Even though it was a tough to deal with so much loss, she never looked at it in a positive way.Your mom is dying, well that is just sad and there really is nothing positive about it. But if Jake never left her, she would have never fallen in love with Lucas. If Derek didn’t leave her she wouldn’t have ever come to the realization that she is a strong and fiercely independent girl. Even though they were all important people in her life, there are always going to be the negative people that you are going to be grateful that they left you. "One Tree Hill" has taught me that I will have to accept the reality that people will leave, even some of the best people and I can’t control that. But I can take what they have given me and make something out of myself and make them proud.

5. Some things are worth fighting for

Another important lesson I learned from watching this show was definitely who or what to fight for in life. I myself have never considered myself a fighter in any aspect but I have learned that sometimes it is necessary, especially when it comes to people and beliefs that are important to you. When Renee was framing Nathan so she could get money, Clay had advised Nathan to just give Renee the money, but that wasn’t good enough for Nathan. He knew that the issue might go away physically but his reputation would be ruined for the rest of his life. So Nathan stood up and refused to give them money and fought for his justice and in the end was rewarded with it.

When Haley published Sam’s article for the school newspaper she knew there were negative consequences if she did not remove it. But Haley believed that Sam had every right to write whatever she wanted to write and it deserved to be published, and even though Haley got fired in the end, she felt good about herself for what she did. So even if it comes as a challenge and you might not get exactly what you hope for in the end, you need to fight for what’s right and never let anyone tell you what you believe isn’t true.

6. There are a lot of people out there in the world, there has got to be someone for everyone

The famous quote, “6,470,818,671 people in this world. Six billion and sometimes all you need is one.” It was a quote that really got me thinking. There are so many people in this world and it is weird to think that you could ever be lonely. I have always been so satisfied with my small group of friends. It’s not like I don’t want other friends, but I feel that it is hard to find someone so similar to me or least appreciate me for the person I am. No need to worry, thanks to "One Tree Hill" I realized that the special person is out there for me, whether it be a best friend or a significant other. Haley found Nathan, who was the last person she would have expected. Brooke found Julian, and he lived all the way in California. They met by just being in the right place at the right time. It might not come today, or even tomorrow but there are so many people in this world I am bound to find someone that is perfect for me.

7. You can learn things from the people you least expect.

Hands down one of the most influential people in entire series of "One Tree Hill" would have to be the lovable James Lucas Scott. He may be young but he taught every character so much about life, themselves and others. Ever since watching the show, I found myself surprised by how insightful the kids I babysit for are and they are just five. We all have a different outlook on life so having an open ear to what others have to say will leave you learning new things you wouldn’t expect. It could be the little kids you know, your teachers, or a stranger, who'll be able to inspire you.

8. Be thankful for the good parents

I have always loved my parents but after watching "One Tree Hill," I learned how lucky I am to have them. Lucas and Karen have one the best mother-son relationships. They give you hope that there are still good family households out there, ones that strive off of inspiration and follow strong values and morals. Sadly, not all the parents on the show were the best in the parental category. Brooke’s parents neglected her throughout her younger years and then only showed interest in her when she became successful with her clothing line.

Surprisingly Victoria (Brooke’s mom) even took a turn for the better and expressed to her daughter that she did love her and is only looking out for her best interest. For goodness sake, she went to prison for her! Even big bad Dan Scott, in the end, saved his son. Parents are there to help you grow into the best person you can be so that you can do the same for your children. Some parents teach us how to be the best and other parents lack doing so, causing the kids to rise above it all and be a better person in spite of them. In the end, our parents play a huge role in our lives and some deserve a huge thank you.

9. We grow up fast

First off, the actors and actresses playing the characters are already older than they should be, but it does give you a wake-up call about how fast we are actually growing up. Nathan and Haley got married and have a kid all in high school for goodness sake! When we are faced with huge obstacles like babies, college, death, jobs, we suddenly are forced to work through situations which cause us to grow up. Like Nathan’s quote in the series finale, “It’s the oldest story in the world. One day you’re seventeen and planning for someday. And then, quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday is today and then someday is yesterday. And this is your life.” Man is it true. It feels like yesterday I was just playing Barbies with my best friends and now suddenly I am a 20-year-old in college? When did that happen?

10. Bullying is a serious issue

I went to high school where people didn’t think bullying was a problem and the truth was it was. People just chose to look the other way or even worse, pretend to look the other way or, even worse, they would join in and not even realize the harm they were doing. Bullying is a serious problem and it is something that everyone needs to get in their heads. I know after seeing Jimmy Edwards have a breakdown in that school gave me chills from head to toe.

I cried the whole episode not just because Mark Schwahn is a genius but because there are kids just like Jimmy Edwards all over the world. Kids who get picked on and just can’t take it anymore. They don’t believe that it will get better. You don’t know what’s going on in someone's mind so the best thing to do is be nice because you never know, it might save someone's life.