Binge-watching 14 seasons of "Grey's Anatomy" over and over has made us happy, sad, angry, excited, but most of all it has taught us life lessons that no other show can. Warning: expect possible spoilers and tears below.
1. Life is filled with surprises and unexpected things, so expect the unexpected.
From losing George O'Malley to Lexi, Mark, and Derek, "Grey's Anatomy" has taught me to expect the unexpected. A lot of the time, the unexpected things are what makes life great.
Meredith Grey even said "We all think we’re going to be great. And we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren’t met. But, sometimes, our expectations sell us short. Sometimes, the expected simply pales in comparison to the unexpected. You gotta wonder why we cling to our expectations. Because the expected is just what keeps us steady… standing… still. The expected is just the beginning. The unexpected… is what changes our lives." (Season 3, Episode 13).
2. Failure is inevitable.
George failed his intern exam. April got fired. Twice. They both picked themselves back up and showed us that life is filled with failures and ups and downs, but all we have to do is remember that failure is inevitable, but how we deal with it is up to us. Meredith Grey said "that even the biggest failure, even the worst, most intractable mistake, beats the hell out of never trying." (Season 1, Episode 6).
definition of best friends. From battling the long nights to traumatic experiences with the hospital shooter. They are each other's person. Meredith will always consider Christina her person, even after her move in season nine.
4. Appreciate everything around you today, because it might not be there tomorrow.
Meredith's emotional monologue after George dies in season five shows us that we have to appreciate everyone around us, because they might not be there tomorrow.
"Did you say it? 'I love you. I don't ever wanna live without you. You changed my life.' Did you say it? Make a plan. Set a goal. Work toward it. But every now and then look around. Drink it in. 'Cause this is it. It might all be gone tomorrow." (Season 5, Episode 24).
5. Pain is inevitable, but it also goes away eventually.
With time, pain goes away. Everyone heals at their own pace, but it will all go away eventually.
Meredith says, ""Time waits for no man. Time heals all wounds. All any of us can want, is more time. Time to stand up. Time to grow up. Time to let go." (Season 3, Episode 1).
6. Beauty means nothing.
Christina Yang tells us that beauty means nothing. Complimenting intelligence a bigger compliment. She's strong, beautiful, empowering, and tells us what we should want to hear.
7. Happiness all the time is an unrealistic expectation.
We all go through high points and low points. However, being happy 100% of the time is unrealistic and impossible. It's okay to cry. It's okay to not be happy all the time.
8. When you love someone, tell them.
Telling someone that you love them can be the best thing in your life, if you're willing to take the risk. Mark Sloan died without telling Lexi he loved her. He regretted it until he died as well (Season 9, Episode 2).
Another memorable moment was when Meredith took her shot and told Derek she loved him. #MerDerForever.
9. It is okay to love yourself and be selfish sometimes.
Self-love is the most important kind of love. It is okay to put yourself before others. Save yourself before you save others.
10. It's okay to be lost and confused.
I've always been a planner. Planning for tomorrow. Planning for next week. Planning for who I will be in ten years. I learned that it is okay to not know what I'm doing, or where I'm going and just take it as it comes, because sometimes the best results come from it.
(Season 2, Episode 2).
11. Parent's love is the best kind of love.
Moms are the shoulder to cry on and dads are the ones who can make you laugh regardless of what mood you are in.
(Season 3, Episode 17).
12. We all grow up.
We spend our entire childhood looking forward to things like driving, moving out, and watching PG-13 movies. What we don't realize is that math homework turns into calculating taxes. Your 16th birthday turns into your 21st. Apple juice turns into appletinis. We all grow up, but we have to live in the moment.
Meredith Grey said "When you're little, night time is scary because there are monsters hiding right under the bed. When you get older, the monsters are different - self-doubt, loneliness, regret - and though you may be older and wiser, you still find yourself scared of the dark."
(Season 11, Episode 18).
13. Be honest, especially to those you love.
Meredith and George have a short fling and she wishes she had been honest because it took a toll on their friendship. Jackson Avery tells us that even not sharing the truth is wrong too. "We're petrified of saying too much or saying it wrong. When the truth is, the only wrong thing you can say... is nothing at all."
"Grey's Anatomy" is currently on season 14. It will continue to teach us valuable lessons in the upcoming seasons!
