If you haven't been part of the magic of "Gilmore Girls" yet, you're truly missing out. It's a story of a single mother and daughter, Lorelai and Rory, living in a small, quirky town together, written by the brilliant minds of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino. Throughout the series' seven seasons, which spanned from 2000 to 2007, the characters experience growing pains, graduations, career moves, and breakups. What makes the show so special though is the closeness of the mother-daughter pair; they're best friends. And despite any drama, new relationships, or life changes, their exceptional relationship has always been the core of the series.
The allurement of "Gilmore Girls" came to me at a time where my own life was experiencing some major changes, roughly around 2005. My parents were in the process of a divorce and I was getting older, having all the growing pains of someone who is unsure of her role in life and the future.
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My mom started watching "Gilmore Girls" before me, tuning in when she got home from work. She was making her own journey into becoming a single mom, like Lorelai, during this time. I then began to join her though, sitting in our den after school, entranced by the fast-talking, eccentric characters on our screen. Stars Hollow became a town I wanted to visit and be a part of, with its whimsical festivals and eccentric townspeople. Above all though, I was captivated by the best friend duo of Lorelai and Rory, mother and daughter.
During this momentous time in our lives, my relationship with my parents began to change, and in a good way. It became mother-daughter and father-daughter, instead of parents-daughter. It gave me a more adult relationship with them that put a focus on the actual person, not just the role that was naturally given to us.
I had always gotten along with my mother and been close, but something shifted during this time. My mom truly became my best friend, which is something many young teenage girls can't really, or wouldn't openly, say. And I was proud of it.
I think we were partially inspired by Lorelai and Rory during this time. How could we not? We went from just catching an episode during the week, to buying each season's DVD box set. We binge-watched even before it became a thing, flying through each season and rewatching our favorite episodes. I think I will forever have the iconic "la-las" from the DVD's main menu ingrained in my mind.
With Lorelai and Rory as role models, we became much more spontaneous — sure, let's go shopping on a weeknight — and honest with each other, letting each other in on personal secrets and worries. We saw ourselves in these characters: an overachieving daughter uncertain about the future and a single mother, sharp with wit and willing to do anything for her family. Despite anything thrown their way, these characters always had each other, just like me and my mother.
Even though the series ended in 2007 and our time watching "Gilmore Girls" together became much more sporadic, little things from the show still influenced our actions together. When describing our matching whirlwind of minds, we use the phrase "monkey, monkey, underpants" and will utter "oy with the poodles, already" when called for. When it came time for me to decide on a college in 2010, we created Pro/Con lists similar to Lorelai and Rory's. Once when I was homesick up in college, we met in the city and my mom was wearing a bow so I would recognize her, like Lorelai and Rory did. Another time, during my senior year, she came up to campus and we had a sleepover, playing games with my college roommates and friends. People were impressed by our relationship, again, just like Lorelai and Rory's. And on my mom's wedding day a couple of summers ago, the two of us danced together to the "Gilmore Girls" opening song, "Where You Lead."
Now that I've graduated and moved out, I cherish these mother-daughter moments even more. I look forward to any moment we can have together, whether it's a sophisticated brunch, or plopping on a couch and watching our favorite television show together. We've had Friday, Nov. 25 blocked off since Netflix and "Gilmore Girls" announced the date of their four-episode special, and you bet there will be takeout, Pop-Tarts, and coffee to celebrate the occasion.
Thank you "Gilmore Girls" for normalizing mother-daughter friendships, acting as an inspiration, and being there for my own particular one in times of need. Although Lorelai and Rory's relationship may be fictional, the one that my mom and I share is very real, and very special.
Most importantly though, as Rory said in her graduation speech to Lorelai, "Thank you, Mom. You are my guidepost for everything.”
