WARNING: Contains spoilers!
Anyone who knows me well is aware that Friends is my hands-down favorite TV show of all time. The best Christmas gift I received last year was Friends being added to Netflix. The majority of my free time since January 1st has been spent re-watching the series and falling in love with it all over again.
My friends and I have often wondered – what is life after college if it isn’t Friends? For those who think that this show is merely a feel-good sitcom, you could not be more wrong. (“You could try, but you would not be successful.” Who said it? Hint: Ross meets Russ).
As a young woman rapidly approaching life as a twenty-something and uncertain about what my future holds, I have learned a lot of valuable lessons from Friends. This show embodies the joys and hardships of life in your twenties, and has a lot more to offer than just a few good laughs. (Make that a lot of laughs. This show is hilarious.)
Not every job will be the perfect job.
This show epitomizes the idea that you have to start somewhere. After Rachel runs away from marrying Barry, she finds that, for the first time, her life is completely in her own hands. Initially, this adjustment is a struggle for her as she learns to lead an independent life and support herself financially. Her first job as a waitress at the Central Perk is obviously not ideal – the pay isn’t great and it’s definitely not glamorous. However, over time it becomes clear that her job as a waitress was merely a stepping stone to bigger and better things. This job allowed her to develop the work ethic and confidence in herself that were necessary for her future success.
Rachel’s job search is not always smooth sailing, and she has her fair share of rejection letters and unfortunate interviews. There were few moments more painful than when she accidentally kisses Mr. Zelner in her interview for the job at Ralph Lauren. Yet, by the later seasons, she has a spectacular job doing what she loves, which is what everyone hopes to achieve someday. Rachel dives head first into the real world, and although she experiences a few bumps along the way, she eventually makes it to exactly where she wants to be. And for me, this is pretty inspiring.
Friends are the family you get to choose.
Each character on Friends has their own share of family issues. Monica is convinced that her parents love Ross more than her, and Rachel’s parents can hardly stand to be in the same room as each other. For one of her surprise birthday parties, they even have to stage two separate parties just to keep them separated. Even worse, Chandler is completely estranged from his father, and Phoebe lost her mother to suicide at a very young age.
Yet despite these hardships, this group of friends comes together to celebrate every holiday, and they’re always there for each other. Everyone knows that Chandler despises Thanksgiving because it brings back painful memories of his parents’ divorce, and his friends always there to support him. Most importantly, they understand each other’s family backgrounds and never hesitate to welcome each other as members of their own family. This type of bond is one that should truly be cherished.
Love can truly last a lifetime.
There are few episodes as meaningful as “The One with the Prom Video”, which is my favorite episode (if you haven’t seen it, go watch it right now). Ross was in love with Rachel for 9 years before they finally got together, and he would do just about anything to make her happy. Even though as a couple they have their ups and downs (re: “We were on a break”), they maintain a strong friendship, and you know all along that they were always meant to be together. After all, as Phoebe once said, “he’s her lobster!”
When Monica and Chandler get together in London, their relationship is forever changed for the better, and they show us that there is nothing quite like falling in love with your best friend. By the time they start dating, they already have a strong connection, and eventually they can’t imagine life without each other.
Significant others come and go, but best friends are forever.
From Fun Bobby to Paul the Wine Guy, these friends date a lot of interesting people and have experienced many painful break-ups. When Emily tries to take control of Ross’s entire life and demands that he never see Rachel again, he recognizes the value of his friendships and walks away from that toxic relationship. After Roger tells Phoebe he doesn’t like her friends, she dumps him faster than the time it takes for him to complete another psychological assessment of them all. And after Janine is incredibly rude to Monica and Chandler, Joey stands up for them and puts his friends first. Overall, they recognize that what the 6 of them have is forever, and that no romantic fling will ever get in the way of that.
If you haven’t seen Friends before, I highly recommend it! For my fellow Friends lovers out there, keep on enjoying the laughs, heartfelt moments, and lazy afternoons at the Central Perk.
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