It is part of the Girl Code for every woman to have a favorite chick flick, which is most often a romantic comedy. The term "chick flick" came from men shrugging off certain movies they would never be caught dead watching with "their boys" but are most likely dragged to by their significant others when in a serious (or not-so-serious) relationship. Girls that enjoy chick flicks will watch them at any time—alone, with girlfriends, and yes, with guys (sorry, dudes!). Oftentimes we don’t just enjoy them for the lovey-dovey stuff, nor for the attractive male lead, and no, we don’t always wish we could have the main character's life. I will admit that my favorite chick flick is based on a book titled "P.S. I Love You," starring Gerard Butler, Hilary Swank, and Harry Connick Jr.

Holly (Swank) mourns the loss of her husband Gerry (Butler) with a year of letters from her late husband as a guide to finding her way in life and love again. Yes, this plot is a little sappy, I know, but I don’t just enjoy the movie because Gerard Butler is dreamy and for its theme of never-ending love. The reasons that the movie has a special place in our hearts are not always point-blank.

1. Party at Your Funeral

My mom used to say that our Irish relatives would stand the corpses up in a corner while they celebrated at the bar during a funeral. Watching Gerry’s friends and family toast his ashes and celebrate his life with shots while Flogging Molly’s “If I Leave This World Alive” plays in the background inspires me to make the most of what could be a short life and have no regrets. I want people to smile because I was a part of their lives, not to cry when it’s time for me to leave them.

2. Not All Who Wander Are Lost

OK, so Holly was definitely lost in Wicklow Park when she met Gerry, but she chose to walk for hours and enjoy the view before she asked for directions from a dashing young Irishman who would bring a great amount of joy to her life. Sometimes planning a day without plans is the best thing you can do for yourself; you never know where it will take you.

3. Sing Karaoke

Holly had two embarrassing nights behind the mic, but the great thing about karaoke is its non-judgmental atmosphere. Everyone is there to be silly, and to remind each other not to take themselves so seriously. It’s a reminder that the little things don’t matter much in the grand scheme of things, but we can chose to remember them fondly or negatively.

4. Best Friends Are by Your Side Through Thick and Thin

First off, who wouldn’t want to be the best friend and maid of honor of Lisa Kudrow (from "Friends") or, even better, be trapped with her in a rowboat with no oars in the middle of a lake in Ireland? Denise (Kudrow) and Sharon (Gina Gershan) are there for Holly as she mourns Gerry and even help her sleep with another beautiful Irishman (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). True friends don’t tell you what you want to hear, they tell you what you need to hear and these two leave no shortage of tough love, but Holly couldn’t do it without them.

5. Not Every Man You Connect With Will Be “The One”

We all find Daniel’s (Harry Connick Jr.) super awkward pursuit of Holly very endearing, but he’s right in that he deserves to be “someone’s Gerry.” Not every guy a woman gets along with is meant to be her significant other, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be friends. We’re all adults here, and gender doesn’t define the relationships we can have with people. Plus, we need those guy friends for moments when we feel suffocated by estrogen.

6. Design Shoes

I don’t mean that we all must strive to become the next top designer of Ralph Lauren’s line of boots, but it is symbolic of Holly finding her passion -- and she doesn’t find it directly out of college, either. Everybody’s journey toward finding what they truly love and are good at varies, and we shouldn’t feel pressured by society’s timeline to do it at anyone’s pace but our own.

7. Go To Ireland

I’m not suggesting that you visit this country to find a man with a gorgeous accent, because it doesn’t always turn out that way. Believe me, I tried. But that was only in the back of my mind when I decided to travel there. It is a vibrant country full of beauty and welcoming people. No one has ever come up to me and shared a bad review of England that has anything to do with the personalities of the general Irish population. But in general, Holly’s trips to Ireland remind me that no one place in this world has to be our only home and that seeing any part of the world is worthwhile. You truly expand your mind when you go beyond your well-known horizons.

8. Mom Knows Best

It was Holly’s mom, played by the incredible Kathy Bates, that symbolized the hardworking cynic in this movie, but her realistic views brought some great wisdom to this romance. For example, regardless of whether they approve of our choices or not, our parents will always stand behind us. Although her mother did not agree with Holly and Gerry marrying young, nor with Gerry’s letter scheme, she was still there for Holly when mourning became too much. You’re never too old to cry in front of Mom. And although moms wish their kids will never feel pain, it’s a comfort to them when it does come to pass and they don’t feel completely useless.

9. Life Goes On

Holly gets so wrapped in losing Gerry that she almost screws up her relationships with her friends. Part of being a good friend is being able to cheer on friends even when our lives are not going the way we'd hoped. It’s OK to feel sad about things, but eventually you have to bounce back, take one step at a time, and find a way to move forward. Staying in the same place you start isn’t life, and even if we don’t feel like living, we have to be mindful of those living around us.

10. “Even if we are all alone, we’re all together in that, too.”

Here it is. The big one. And the reason why Kathy Bates, as Holly’s mother, is my favorite character for breathing life into this line. We all know loneliness at some point in our lives, and even when it seems like everyone is in a relationship, that’s not the case. We can enjoy our lives without someone else being in it, and that is one of the keys to squelching loneliness and being truly happy. It is reassuring to think that those of us who are single are in fact part of a group, and we all as human beings can relate to the frustrations of seeking or not seeking significant others. We are never truly alone and it is always possible to find someone who can relate to us in matters of the heart, whether it be a friend or family member. You don’t need to fear living, because no one is there to hold your hand through all of it.