In my 12 grade English class we were given an assignment the second day of class. We were instructed to write a short essay on someone who inspires you. After careful thought, I decided to write mine on Meredith Grey. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that name, Meredith Grey is the main character in my favorite TV series "Grey's Anatomy."She is portrayed as a world class, love-struck, general surgeon who has earned her high ranking by making it through more obstacles imaginable. Besides the fact that I aspire to be a physician assistant and am obsessed with any medical affiliated TV show, I especially became attached to Meredith, also known as, Dr. Grey, because of her perseverance despite the countless personal hurdles she has encountered. She has had to deal with neglect, death, heartbreak, depression and even a few life threatening situations. Meredith’s success on top of all this is what has had such an influential movement on me. Her achievements as a doctor and a surgeon have surpassed the misconception that anyone who reaches the utmost success has done so by always remaining intact, and not giving into life here and there. We are all human, and it is okay to fall apart sometimes. Although Meredith is almost always crumbling to pieces on the inside, she is always relied on by others to keep a calm appearance when dealing with a crisis. She’s someone that anyone can lean on when they feel like falling. The strength that Meredith sometimes never know she has is always present when her friends turn to her. Like Meredith, I can agree that it is sometimes easier to help others, than to help yourself. Who we are is not defined by how many times we come out on top when dealing with life, it’s the way we handle anything life throws at us and the lessons we learn along the way. Meredith is a powerful character who is portrayed as someone who is often impulsive and self-destructive, but her compassion for helping others is no secret. Meredith is a complicated and confusing character but if you read between the lines, she is extremely admirable.

Almost two years later and I can still honestly say that Meredith is still someone who I look up to. The fact that she is “fictional” doesn’t change my opinion, in fact it induces even more inspiration. It is so common in this day for people, like myself, who are still trying to find themselves, to strive to be perfect. Those people never find the inspiration we all so desperately need because they look in the wrong places. Inspiration to me is the struggle, and the impossible times. The moments where everyone else would have given up instead of pushing through and coming out stronger than ever the way Meredith does. Most people look up to, and wish to be, the models you see on the cover of magazines, or the celebrities who seem to have it all together, but not me. I sincerely believe the way Meredith is portrayed is a much better "real" role model than any nonfictional being.

If you watch Grey’s Anatomy then you would also know that every episode starts with Meredith narrating. Below are some of the most noteworthy quotes that everyone can relate to:

1. “And people can be broken, sure, but any surgeon knows what’s broken can be mended. What’s hurt can be healed. That no matter how dark it gets the sun’s going to rise again.” – Meredith Grey

2. “If there’s just one piece of advice I can give you it’s this- when there’s something you really want, fight for it, don’t give up no matter how hopeless it seems. And when you’ve lost hope, ask yourself in 10 years from now, are you going to wish you gave it one more shot because the best things in life, they don’t come free.” – Meredith Grey

3. “We’re friends, real friends, and that means no matter how long it takes, when you finally decide to look back, I’ll be here.” – Meredith Grey

4. “Yes, horrible things do happen, Happiness in the face of all of that, that’s not the goal. Feeling the horrible and knowing you’re not going to die from those feelings, that’s the point.” - Meredith Grey

5. “Not everybody has to be happy all of the time. That’s not mental health, that’s crap.” – Meredith Grey

And let us not forget her most memorable and heart-wrenching quote:

6. “I love you, in a really, really, big pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, hold a radio over my head, outside your window, unfortunate way that makes me hate you, love you. So pick me. Choose me. Love me.” – Meredith Grey