Remember that show "One Tree Hill" that had Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush in it? It turns out, a nine-season television show can teach us a lot more about our own lives than we think it might. For those of us who watched all nine seasons of the show, we got to know the characters so well that we felt as though we were a part of their intimate and social lives with every episode. Every season taught us new lessons and morals to follow and came with various dramas and stories that slowly began to feel like our own lives. Through all of the happy, sad, emotional, exciting and unexpected moments that the show brought to us, here are 15 lessons that "One Tree Hill" taught us over the years.
1. Live in the Moment
Nathan Scott's famous quote on the last episode of the series shows us all that if we wait for our lives to go by, we will miss some integral stuff, and one day we'll wake up and we won't even realize what kind of a life we've been living because we've been too busy waiting for our lives to start. Once we accept that our lives are our lives, we can truly live them to the fullest in the moment without waiting for them to start.
2. Zero is Not a Size
Obviously zero is a size for those of us who are little, but Brooke Davis and Millicent Huxtable strove to teach us through the fashion line Clothes Over Bros that women and men should accept their bodies as they are. There is no right or wrong size to be because everybody is different and beautiful in their own unique way. There's no reason for us to compare ourselves to others because we are all perfect the way we are.
3. Never Give Up
Peyton Sawyer taught us that no matter what life hands you, you should never let it defeat you. She was definitely given the most obstacles of all of the characters in the show, but we learned so much from her tough and spunky attitude. Whether she was faced with a crazy stalker who tied her up in the basement, or the death of both of her mothers, she never gave up and never stopped fighting.
4. You Matter
Mouth McFadden finally fulfills his career goal by hosting his own sports-themed television show. However, his television show came from a special place in his heart where he finally realized (thanks to Dan Scott) that his life, and what he does with it, matters. As Mouth struggles throughout the series to find his purpose and act on it, he finally finds his place and shows all of us that even when you are lost and can't find your place, what you do in this world matters.
5. Labels Aren't Permanent
Of all of the characters in the series, Brooke Davis was definitely labeled the most between her high school years and her adult life that came afterward. Through her struggle to be truly understood by everybody she encountered, she showed us that no matter how many labels you are given by people who misunderstand you, nothing is permanent and you can constantly change who you are, even if people don't acknowledge that. In nine seasons, we saw Brooke Davis move from the classic textbook party girl to a thoughtful, hardworking mother with a million dollar company in her hands. If she can do it, anyone can.
6. Everyone Deserves a Second Chance
Through all of the hardships that we watch Clay Evans go through, the rediscovery of his son with his late wife Sarah is by far the most emotional and surprising. At the end of the series, Clay wishes to be a father to his son after six years of suppressing him. While his son, Logan, is first very hesitant, he decides to give him a chance, and by the last episode, Logan is living with Clay at his beach house and Clay's fiancé Quinn adopts Logan as her own son. Now, if that's not the best outcome of a second chance, I don't know what is.
7. Always Follow Your Heart
Remember when Nathan and Haley got married when they were 16 and we were all skeptical because we knew it wouldn't last? Well, we were definitely proven wrong after the couple was literally put through every challenge known to man, not to mention having two children, one of whom was born during their college years. Haley and Nathan taught us that no matter what others have to say about our life choices, we must stick to our gut and do what we think is best. You never know—you could end up married to your soul mate at age 16.
8. The Journey Shapes Who We Are
Lucas Scott taught us some of the most important lessons that "One Tree Hill" had to offer, but one of the most prominent ones is that the journey is more important than the end result. Although Lucas and Peyton are not involved in the last few seasons of the show, their suggested end point shows us that their long and difficult journey towards finding each other and making a family really paid off in the end. However, that journey is ultimately what shaped their lives in the end, not the fact that they have what they have.
9. Forgiveness
We lost Keith Scott really early in the series, but his legacy was never forgotten in the following seasons. Keith was one of the most genuine and authentic characters in the television show, and he really showed us what it means to find happiness even when we have nothing to show for it. At the very end of the series when Dan Scott dies, Keith finds Dan and forgives him immediately and takes him to the afterlife. As we all know, Dan was the one who killed Keith in the first place, but Keith's willingness to finally forgive Dan at the very end of the series shows us that it is possible to forgive literally anybody, even if they shoot you in plain sight.
10. It's Okay to be Sad
Jamie Scott is by far one of the most adorable characters in the series, but along with his amazing relationship with the characters on the show and his go-getter attitude, he provides a lot of wisdom to the show, even for the characters who are older than him. One of Jamie's finest moments in the show is when he taught us that in order to find peace and happiness, we must first let ourselves feel sadness and tears. As one of the strongest characters in the show, he demonstrates this principle to us many times in the show as he is faced with hardships that some of us have still never experienced.
11. You Can Do Anything
Even though Whitey Durham isn't in the second half of the series, his presence and guidance in Nathan and Lucas's high school years takes them a long way into the real world. Nathan and Lucas's basketball coach taught them many things throughout the years, but most importantly, he taught us that we can do anything we set our minds to, even when people say that we can't. His beautiful display in winning the state championship with Nathan and Lucas's senior class is the perfect demonstration of such wisdom and strength, even if his late wife Camilla never got to experience it with him.
12. It's Just a Game
Through all of Dan's great and not so great moments, one thing is for sure: Dan Scott taught us that basketball is just a game, not life. Although he truly redeems himself in the last few seasons, the constant pressure that he puts on Nathan during his high school career in basketball shows us all that sports doesn't have to be a lifestyle—it can be a game that is left on the court or the field.
13. You are Enough
Brooke Davis's constant struggle with not feeling like she's enough stays with her throughout the series. As we watch her transform into a strong and courageous character, she begins to really feel as though she is truly the wonderful person that everybody tells her she is. She shows all of us that even when your parents constantly put you down, you are more than enough.
14. Say What's on Your Mind
We've heard this before from Clay because it's the motto that he lived by after his wife died. His words do ring true, however. As humans, we don't really ever say what we need to say, and then life happens and it's too late to say things we wanted to say. Clay taught us to always say how we feel, because one day it'll be too late and we we'll never get that chance again.
15. There is Only One "One Tree Hill"
This one truly speaks for itself.
