When I was little, I watched a lot of Disney Channel shows. But in my humble opinion, none of them measured up to Lizzie McGuire. I was (and still am) a big fan of the show's star Hillary Duff. I had posters of her and all the merchandise you could possibly have to do with the show: From a night gown (which I wore during both of my major surgeries), to a VHS of the seasons that had already aired. One day, I remember telling my mom that I wanted to write a letter to Hillary. So my mom and I took to the computer and Googled her agent's address. We sat down and I wrote a letter telling her how big a fan I was of hers, and we sent it. I waited and waited but no answer came. No worries, I still remained a loyal fan; Even when she switched to music. I, of course, had to have every CD she ever made (this hasn't changed, for those of you that are unaware, she has recently made a comeback and I couldn't be more excited). Now that you know my history with Hillary, here are 5 lessons I learned from watching Lizzie McGuire.

1. Family is important.

The show did an awesome job of having a family that fought but always made up at the end. I think it showed me that eve though we fight with our families, it's important to know that they are always there for us.

2. True friends will support you.

In the very first episode, Lizzie tries out for cheerleading. Even though they were skeptical, they supported her.

3. Your feelings will confuse you. Lizzie was honest about the world's most confusing subject: boys.

4. Wear whatever you want to. You'll rock it.

She taught us to own our fashion statements. No matter what they are.

5. Finally, she taught us to follow our dreams.

In the Movie's hit song, "Why Not?" we learn what it's like to live your dreams, and we learn why we should never give up.

Thank you, Hilary, for growing up with me in all different kinds of ways.