Brooke Davis first waltzed onto our televisions (and into our hearts) in 2003, following the premiere of the CW drama One Tree Hill. By the series finale in 2012, our favorite Ravens cheerleader had been through a whole lot — and if you’re anything like me, you basically lived through each experience with her. Brooke arguably grew more than any other character throughout the series and as she dealt with the curveballs of life, I found myself learning too. Here are 19 things that Brooke Davis, one of the strongest leads I’ve ever seen, taught me.
Warning: Brooke-centric spoilers ahead!
1. Forgiving doesn’t always mean forgetting.
Everyone has heard “forgive and forget,” but Brooke taught me that the past is important. Forgiveness comes from within oneself, but it’s important to remember what’s happened to you. If you don’t learn from the past, you’ll most likely repeat it.
2. Being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely
After all the Lucas/Peyton drama (talk about annoying), Brooke decides to detox from relationships and just focus on her self. Despite her reliance on others the past, Brooke taught me that being alone is perfectly okay.
3. You have to work for what you want, even if it’s tough.
Who could forget Brooke’s stint at Carl’s Crab Shack? Hilarity aside, Brooke taught me that if you want it, you have to work for it. Even if it means you have to dress up in a giant crab suit to get it.
4. Your sexuality is not something to be ashamed of.
Seriously, what other show can you think of where a girl “brooking” herself is actually discussed? Rather than stigmatizing her sexuality, Brooke accepted and embraced it. She taught me that my body is natural and beautiful.
5. Everyone defines success differently.
For Brooke’s mother, Victoria, success meant money. Of course a little cash never hurt anyone, but Brooke taught me that success isn’t always about your paycheck. Sometimes the best reward is simply being happy.
6. Sometimes moving forward means not looking back.
While the past is important, the future is necessary. After Brooke’s relationship with Lucas, I learned that sometimes the things that meant the most to you in the past are meant to stay there. Always remember where you came from, but the decisions you make need to build you up for the future – not bring you down.
7. Giving second chances makes you stronger, not weaker
Even if second chances don’t turn out for the better, Brooke made me realize that they don’t make you weak. In fact, Brooke’s ability to give her friends the benefit of the doubt (even when they seriously didn’t deserve it) made her into the badass we all fell in love with.
8. It’s okay to not be okay.
Your feelings are valid, no matter what. You never need to compromise yourself for the benefit of others. Everyone is sad sometimes and that’s perfectly okay. Everyone is angry sometimes and that’s perfectly okay. Even for someone like Brooke, the “perfect cheerleader,” life isn’t actually so perfect after all. No matter your privilege, it’s okay to not be okay.
9. Your past is a part of you, but it doesn’t define you.
Admittedly, Brooke had a bit of a rough start. Being a party girl is fine, but being one in high lead to some not-so-flattering moments. Brooke taught me that to accept who I am, I must also accept who I have been. Plus, without Brooke’s past, Clothes Over Bro’s would have never been created.
10. Silliness is good and laughter is healthy.
From her first introduction naked in the back of Lucas’ car, Brooke taught me not to take life too seriously. Of course I never replicated the classic Brooke-in-a-car move, but she did teach me to laugh when I can and be silly when I want. B-Dazzle to the rescue!
11. Family doesn’t have to be blood.
While this is a message throughout all of One Tree Hill, with a mother like Victoria and a father like Ted, Brooke was one of the few characters who didn’t have family by her side. Brooke taught me that family is unconditional love, not just with the people who have the same genes as you.
12. Other people are not medicine.
This one took me a long time to figure out and it took Brooke a long time too. When you love someone, it’s hard to imagine your life without him/her. But even when relationships work out, you still have to love yourself first. Brooke Davis became her own hero, so I became mine.
13. The best friendships are the unexpected ones.
Following an impulsive buy in Tree Hill’s “Boy Toy Auction,” Brooke ends up on a date with the quirky Mouth McFadden. Thank goodness she did, because they became one of the best pair of friends on the show. Brooke taught me to be kind to everyone because friendships can be found in the most unexpected of places.
14. It’s okay to not know what comes next.
High school can be scary and college can be even scarier. Whether you’re going to college or entering the real world, it’s so comforting to see that other people feel the same way. Brooke taught me that it’s okay to not know where my life is heading as long as I keep moving forward.
15. You can’t control everything that happens.
One Tree Hill is full of drama all around, but season six featured an especially traumatic experience for Brooke when Xavier attacked her. The attack was terrifying, but the aftermath was even more heartbreaking. Bad things happen, even to good people and that is something both Brooke and I have had to accept.
16. To overcome your fears, you must accept them first.
When I first watched this episode, this quote really hit home for me. While I can’t speak for anyone else, not being enough has been an insecurity of mine for as long as I can remember. But, actually recognizing it is something I’ve only recently been able to do. Brooke put into words what I couldn’t seem to.
17. Mental illness doesn’t just “go away.”
While the “zero is not a size” campaign seems a little dated now (skinny shaming is real too!) for the early 2000s this movement was pretty great. Brooke taught me that whether it’s an eating disorder, a psychiatric disorder or an addiction, mental illness is never something to be taken lightly. It is not and will never be, a choice.
18. Labels only matter as much as you let them.
In this classic scene, Brooke confronts the limitations high school had placed on her. With graduation on the horizon, smiling in the face of her labels, Brooke taught me that people’s perceptions only have power over me if I let them.
19. You are enough.
“Brooke Davis is going to change the world someday”… and you will, too.
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