One Tree Hill: This is Your Life

I just finished watching the series finale of One Tree Hill. Yes, it ended several months ago and I'm just now watching it, but it took me some time to be ready to watch it. Honestly, I was mad that there was a 9th season. I thought they ended it so great with season 8 when Jamie was running across the bridge bouncing the basketball like Lucas did at the beginning of the show. I thought that was a perfect way to end it. I was wrong. I'm not sure why I didn't trust them after 9 years of providing moments that just fit perfectly with my life.

I think One Tree Hill represents everything I love about television. For one thing, television grows with you. That show was on for 9 years. I started watching it at Season 2 and stuck with it for every season after that, except obviously season 9. I remember how I felt the first time I saw Brooke & Lucas kiss. I remember how excited, but mad I was about Lucas & Peyton. I went back & forth with them for years. I always loved Haley & Nathan & I remember hoping I could be as loving, understanding & wise as Haley always seemed to be in her relationships. I hated Nanny Carrie along with everyone else. I rooted for Lucas & Peyton. I laughed with Brooke & always loved it when she got mad! I adored Jamie when he came along in season 5. I was very early in my pregnancy with Isis when Peyton was pregnant in Season 6 - talk about something that'll scare you to death!

I have so many memories of watching this show with friends. I watched the first season on DVD with my friend Courtney. We introduced the show to our friends and I have lots of memories of watching it each week in our apartment with a big group of people. Lewis and I were newly married, living with our friend Ian, and our apartment was the gathering place for most of our friend group. What great memories, looking back on those times.

It's interesting how a show can speak so directly to so many different people. That's what's beautiful about media in general, be it television, movies, books or music, and I think what I like the most about One Tree Hill is that it incorporated all of that. You can't really think of One Tree Hill without thinking about the music. Every episode's title is a song title. The name of the show itself came from a song lyric. They had musicians playing regularly on the show, introducing me to new music and musicians I still love. One Tree Hill is how I discovered Ray LaMontagne, who is my absolute favorite!

It also has lots of quotes from books that I love. I watched the commentary with the creator, Mark Schwahn, that was on the hour before the finale premiered on the CW. He talked about how the first episode has this quote from Shakespeare and he found it so appealing because the quote was relevant both at Shakespeare's time, and also in the modern day world of these high schoolers in Tree Hill. How perfect. How true. I hope to teach my daughters that classic literature and intelligent creation of any kind is relevant beyond generational lines. A good movie is still a good movie 20, 30 or 50 years later. A good song can still to speak to someone's granddaughter as much as it spoke to them.

For that reason, when my girls are teenagers, I think they'll love watching this show. Sure the clothes will probably look outdated at that point, but I think there are things about this show that will appeal to teenagers many years from now. We all are looking for that group of friends who is more like family - that group of people who sticks together no matter what. There can be drama, fights, pain, brokenness and still there can be that same bond that pulls you back in when it feels like you're done.

Same thing for me with this show, it pulled me back in even after I thought I was done. I have now watched the last 20 minutes of the finale episode 3 times. Gavin DeGraw singing the theme song while you see all the characters sing at the top of their lungs while it also cuts to video of them just hanging out together, grown up, with children, just living their lives and moving on together. Then gathering at the end to see the next generation basketball star (Jamie Scott) enter the court for his last game. This makes me appreciate things about my life as I look back. Nothing about high school can define me so much that I can't be a bigger and better person as I grow. Bad decisions or mistakes or pain can't change the future of my relationships. My children will grow and change and so will I. Life. Moves. On. And that's a good thing.

Thank you, One Tree Hill, for sharing 9 years of life with me. I like to believe that you're all still living on in Tree Hill. I'll think of you from time to time.


This is the last quote from show and I love it. It's all the fabulousness of One Tree Hill - a little sweet, a little cheesy, a little perfect.
"It's the oldest story in the world: one day you're 17 and praying for someday - and then quietly, without ever really noticing, someday is today and then someday is yesterday and this is your life.
We spent so much time wanting, pursuing, wishing, but ambition is good. Chasing things with integrity is good. Dreaming.
If you had a friend you knew you'd never see again, what would you say? If you could do one last thing for someone you love, what would it be? Say it. Do it. Don't wait. Nothing lasts forever.
Make a wish and place it in your heart. Anything you want. Everything you want. 
Do you have it? Good. Now believe it can come true.
You never know where the next miracle is going to come from.
The next memory. The next smile. The next wish come true.
But if you believe that it's right around the corner, if you open your heart and your mind to the possibility of it. The certainty of it.
You just might get the thing you wish for.
The world is full of magic. You just have to believe in it.
So make your wish. Do you have it? Good. Now believe in it. With all your heart."