About two years ago, I was searching and searching for a new show to watch on Netflix. So many people had told me about One Tree Hill, but once I saw there were nine seasons, I decided it was way too long and wasn’t worth it. After seeing its ratings (five stars) and it constantly being raved about by my friends, I finally decided to give it a chance. Just like that, I was hooked. I began binge watching and binge watching while trying to find time for it in between my crazy college schedule and life in general. Today, I have officially finished the series, and I am at a loss of words. I am not going to write a play-by-play summary on the show because chances are, if you are reading this, you love the show just as much as I do. All I have to say is, thank you.

Calling One Tree Hill a show is such an understatement, because it is SO much more than that. For me, it was something I turned to when I was angry, when I was going through heartbreak, when I was as happy as I possibly could be, and everything in between, because that is what the series was; reality. Each and every word that made up every line of the script was reality, something that every single viewer can grasp and hold onto. From the moment I laid eyes on Lucas Scott dribbling a basketball across that bridge, I knew Tree Hill would be my escape. The characters, the stories, the place, it all came together to create pure magic. One Tree Hill made me believe in it all. Love, hope, strength, dreams, but it also made me believe in the dark side. Death, heartbreak, let downs, but what do all of these things have in common essentially? Let us thank One Tree Hill for the answer; life. Without heartbreak, we would never open our hearts to love, without letdowns, we would never dream of something bigger and better than what we once thought we had, and without death, we wouldn’t have the hope and strength it takes to know that life gets better and is worth fighting for. These are not life lessons my mom or dad taught me over a family dinner, I took all of these things away from a television show. How? How could a silly television series portray all of these things? Well, I can tell you right now, it is not silly, and it is not just a TV show.

Tree Hill is and will forever be my home, something that I dream of being a part of. Throughout some of the worst times of my life, Tree Hill was there. The authenticity of every single character and the pure love that Tree Hill possessed brought me up from the even the lowest of the low. From seeing Brooke Davis put her whole heart into absolutely everything in her life to watching Nathan Scott grow into the man I knew he always was, I felt as if I was a character in the show. I felt as if I was growing and learning right alongside them, and I would not change this for the world. The series has taught me that no matter what we go through in life, there is always tomorrow. No matter what mistakes you’ve made, what bridges you’ve burned, you can always come back a better and stronger person than you were before in the next chapter of your life. As things come to an end, whether it be your graduation, getting a new job, moving to a new town, starting a family, know that great things are around the corner. Your past and your memories will always be in your heart, and there is no reason to ever let that go.

I strive to be any character in Tree Hill, to have Brooke’s heart, Haley’s strength, Nathan’s ambition, but I have accepted that all I can do is be the best version of me that I can, and I think that is the most important lesson that I have taken away from One Tree Hill. Although I am done with the series, (who am I kidding, I will definitely be re-watching it) the values and morals I have gained since the beginning of it all will always be with me. I am much more than a fan of the show, I am an admirer. I can go on and on about why I feel that One Tree Hill is now and forever will be a part of my life, but let me leave you with this. Go call a friend and tell them how much you care. Do you hate your job? Quit, find something that makes you happy. Are you mourning the loss of someone you love? Cherish their life and the impact they left on you, and know that everything will get better. Thank you, One Tree Hill, for teaching me how to love, cry, dream, and pushing me to be a better person.

“Make a wish. Do you have it? Good. Now believe in it. Will all your heart.” –One Tree Hill