Hello collegiettes™!
I don’t know about you, but there is something about the business of another academic year in college that makes me really nostalgic for those younger days of coming home from school and just watching TV without a worry in life. As a kid in the 90’s and early 2000’s, I remember watching the TV show “Friends” with my parents and thinking that Ross was adorable and Phoebe was crazy funny. As I grew older, I began to appreciate more than the funny characters of the show and to learn some interesting and valuable life lessons that this classic and beloved TV show has taught its viewers throughout all these years.
Here are some of the lessons about life and adulthood I have learned from many marathons of watching “Friends”:
1) Adult life isn’t perfect, but it can be fun. Probably the main lesson I’ve learned from “Friends” is that the 20’s and 30’s aren’t the perfect seasons of life; they are filled with new challenges, expectations and obligations (not to mention some heartaches thrown in the mix). But with good coffee in hand and a fun and supportive group of friends to share life with, the initiation to adult life can become a whole lot more bearable and fun!
Learning how to laugh despite the problems, keep moving forward even after a tough breakup or job loss, and learning how to love your friends and family despite their peculiarities is what makes the adult life an adventure like no other.
2) You’re never too old to hang out with your best friends. One thing I love about the relationship between the six friends is that they always make time to be together a priority. Ross has an important job at the museum (and later as a professor), Monica spends a lot of time with Richard (before she realizes that Chandler is the one for her, of course!), and Rachel is a brand new mom taking care of Emma. But even so, they always make time to catch up about life over some coffee and sometimes fancy dinner (the joys of being a grown up with a full time job).
It can be tempting as we grow older and get “real” jobs to think that hanging out of friends is not that important. But close and meaningful relationships are even more important as grown ups, because as life gets harder we will need our buddies to help us make it through this maze that is life.
3) Be brave enough to be true to yourself. Another big lesson that “Friends” teaches throughout the show is for us to be true to ourselves and to not be afraid to follow our dreams. Joey has many obstacles in his pursuit of an acting career, but even so he keeps pushing through and eventually gets a job in a famous soap opera (go Joey)!
Rachel goes against the expectations of her family and upon realizing she doesn’t really love the man she’s about to marry, she walks out of the church in her wedding gown and finds an old high school friend that will help her change her life around and follow her dreams. Adulthood is the season for us to embrace who we really are and be brave to go and follow our hearts, knowing that those friends and family members who truly love us will be there for us “when the rain starts to pour”.
Photo Sources:
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