Everyone who knows me, knows that I love Gilmore Girls. I don't just enjoy watching, it's a part of me, it's who I am, in every sense I feel like I am an honorary Gilmore Girl. I wouldn't be me without the things that Gilmore Girls has instilled in me. My love for coffee, girl power, witty banter, pop culture, and all food unhealthy, comes from years of reinforcement by my favorite fictional characters. But Gilmore Girls has taught me far more than just how to make dessert sushi, and successfully design a PopTart platter; it has taught me some very important and substantial life lessons. Going into the revival my hopes were sky high, and after watching they were definitely met, if not exceeded. I loved almost every aspect of the show, especially how after all this time all the characters are the same and having seemingly similar struggles. The revival revealed significant depth of each character, and gave a lot of insight into their current lives. I found some very important lessons, that could benefit Gilmore fans everywhere. So much can be taken from the four part season, but here are just a few things I found super important. Warning: (contains spoilers)
Life doesn’t always turn out exactly how you planned but sometimes it’s for the better.
As displayed by Rory, life sometimes throws you a curveball, and it ends up being a lot different than you originally planned. Rory has always wanted to be a journalist and for the most part things have gone her way. It isn’t until her career path, and her social life are completely flipped that she finds real happiness. Emily Gilmore shows us that it is possible to live a full and happy life, even after the devastation of the sudden death of Richard. Gilmore Girls has taught me that you can be the smartest, most put together person, and sometimes your life won’t go as planned.
Never give up on someone you love/ it's worth it to wait for the one you love.
I have always been Team Jess and Team Luke. In my opinion, it’s always seemed like the obvious choice. They are real, caring, honest, and funny. The revival strengthened my love for these characters. Jess has always helped Rory become the best version of herself, and more importantly he gets her. In season 6, Jess convinces Rory to go back to Yale, in Part 3 of A Year in the Life, he gives her the idea to write a book. He has always believed in her, and was always willing to be there for her no matter what; the same goes for Luke. Luke waited for Lorelai for most of his adult life, and would’ve been willing to do it, forever. Both of these characters showed me that love is always worth waiting for.
It’s never too late to be who you want to be or do what you want to do.
All of the characters show us that it doesn’t matter where you are in life or how old you are, it’s never too late to do what you want to do. 30’s are the new 20’s. This is exemplified by how Rory is 32, but she still has so much to learn, and so much she wants to do. She doesn’t know who she wants to be with, or who she wants to be, but that’s okay. Lorelai and Luke have been together for 10 years and still haven’t gotten married. Although it took them a decade, they did it, and now they are happier than they could’ve ever imagined. Just because you figure it out a little later doesn’t mean you lost your chance.
You have to find joy in the hard stuff.
Regardless of the real, and hard things that happen in the revival, the characters never lose hope and are always able to find the “comedy” in every situation. Gilmore Girls has always been a great source of comfort and happiness for me. I admire Lorelai in particular for her ability to wear a smile even when she is sad, and how she constantly makes everyone’s day better through her sense of humor. At times Lorelai's humor was seen as inappropriate, for example at Richards funeral; but that was her way of grieving, and it ended up benefitting everyone.
Home, will always be waiting for you with open arms.
Home is where you feel loved, comfortable, and safe. Rory is embarrassed and ashamed to be coming home after all this time, but what I focused on was how welcoming and happy everyone was to have her back. I think that what can be taken from this is that when all else fails, sometimes you just need to head home and be with the people who love you and understand you. Our homes might not be as quirky or magical, but everyone has there own Stars Hollow. Home is where the heart is, or more importantly where the Gilmore Girls is playing.
