On September 23, 2003, One Tree Hill aired on TV. On that date, I was 5 years old.

For years, several people have tried to convince me to watch this show, but I was too stubborn to succumb to the pressure and watch one of the greatest shows in the world. It took me until my freshman year of college when I felt lonely and sad missing my high school days, that my roommates finally convinced me to start the show. I could relate to all the feels; the heartbreak that was Lucas and Brooke, the sadness that Nathan experienced when Haley left, the longing that Brooke felt when Peyton left, and the desire that every character felt in remembering the good days and how it shaped them to be who they are today. I fell in love with every single character more and more as I got through every season. I could relate to all their feelings, and the struggle it was growing up and figuring out who you were meant to be.

Where am I in my "One Tree Hill" life? Well, remember the episode where they all signed their names on the river court and promised they would be friends forever? I think I'm stuck in between there, and the moment they came back to Tree Hill to realize that their names have faded and things have begun to change.

This show has made me realize that things aren't going to ever stay the same. We are going to grow to be different people than who we were in high school, and that's okay. If we wish hard enough and chase our dreams rather than waiting for them to come to us, we will live the happiest versions of our lives. Our friends in high school aren't always going to be our friends forever, but as long as you are able to look behind you and see people that you know will always have your back then you are perfectly fine. All you need in your life are people you know will support no matter what. Sometimes, those people may leave, or the number of people may change, but as long as you have somebody you know you can always turn to... I'd say you're doing just fine.

What we do matters, who we are matters, and how we decide to live our lives matters. We are all important and we are under no obligation to be the same people we were in high school. I mean, look at Brooke! She grew to be such a successful, strong, and graceful woman that we all knew would conquer the world some day. Even Lucas knew that he wrote all about it. Isn't it time that we all start believing that, somewhere inside of all of us, there is a piece of Brooke Davis that exists? We are all strong and capable as soon as we start believing in ourselves.

When we believe in ourselves our dreams will start to come true. Yes, things may have changed along the way, but we can thank those changes and believe that they made you who you are today. All the hardships and the good times are shaping you into the person you are right now. And, the person you are right now is shaping you into the person you will be in the future.

One thing I learned from finishing this show is to stop wishing life away. Stop wishing you were older, stop waiting for the moment you graduate high school to "get out of there". Stop waiting for your life to change and just do something about it yourself. Don't wish time away because by the words of Nathan Scott... "One day you're seventeen and planning for someday. And then, quietly, and without ever really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life."

On April 4th, 2012 the last episode of One Tree Hill aired on TV. On that date, I was 14 years old. Today, on April 26th, 2017 I watched the last episode of "One Tree Hill." On this date, I am 18 years old. It took a long time for me to jump on the "One Tree Hill" bandwagon, but I am really really happy that I did.

This show was here for me when I desperately needed something to relate to. It lifted my spirits and made me believe that the future is bright. The world has something great planned for all of us, so we have to learn to break through the obstacles and be hopeful that one day everything will make sense.

"So don't be afraid to make mistakes, to stumble and fall, cause most of the time, the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe you'll get everything you wish for. Maybe you'll get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you? The road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination". -OTH