Ross and Rachel, Rachel and Ross. They are iconic and ruled the TV for years as the on-again off-again couple that we so wanted to end up together. Over the 10 seasons of FRIENDS they taught us valuable lessons on what love is like, even when it’s not pretty.
1. Friendship is key
One thing Rachel and Ross always had going for them was their hilarious friendship. Once you meet someone, whether you were already friends or not, it’s amazing to develop that kind of friendship. The kind of friendship where you can laugh at each other and laugh with each other is very important when it comes to long term relationships.
2. You can love someone and not be with them
Through the on-again off-again relationship there’s one thing that remained constant between Rachel and Ross: they always loved each other. It didn’t matter whether they were with other people or whether they were by themselves – they always had each other in the back of their minds.
3. Find your lobster
One of my favourite episodes of FRIENDS is when Phoebe tells Ross that Rachel is “his lobster.” “She’s your lobster. Come on, you guys. It’s a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. You know what, you can actually see old lobster couples, walking around their tank, you know, holding claws.” Although they were on and off, it was always clear that they had something special. When you find your own lobster, you’ll feel it.
4. Communication is everything
Were they on a break or not? This is the debate that has ravaged many tables as my friends and I hang out. Although the series of episodes that feature this line are hilarious, they also bring to light the importance of communication.
5. What’s meant to be will always come back
*spoiler alert* Rachel gets off the plane… one of my favourite moments in TV history. Ross and Rachel, Rachel and Ross… they were on-again and off-again but they managed to keep their bond and end up together. It’s such a cheesy sounding quote but it truly does have meaning behind it. What’s meant to be will always be.
Finding the Ross to your Rachel or the Rachel to your Ross is a long process, but once you finally get it right the feeling is unimaginable. Find your lobster and once you do, don’t let them go. This article is dedicated to my lobster, who is just as much of a FRIENDS nerd as I am and helped me realize these lessons.