over the past couple of months, i've seen multiple tree hill weddings. first, haley and nathan, married quietly with only family present; then again, surrounded by family and friends (and a lot of extras we were never introduced to). then, peyton and lucas, again surrounded by dear friends and loved ones.
tonight, i watched brooke and julian's wedding and i got all of the feels.
if you know one tree hill, then you probably remember that brooke is the cool-girl, cheerleader/fashion designer who thoughtfully struggles to find her match. while i've never really related to brooke's character, there is a lot about this episode that hit me hard tonight.
one tree hill begins in high school. we follow the characters as they navigate typical (and not-so-typical) high school drama, then we fast-forward to post-college life. at the first two weddings, the focus is on the bride and groom's high school friends. the show's writers create this world where high school friends in a small north carolina town grow so closely together that they remain friends forever. you can't help but root for these friends to truly make it last.
at this point in the show, though, nearly half of the actors who played main characters have left the show to star in other tv dramas and movies. by brooke and julian's wedding in season eight, half of the high school friends are gone and most of the main characters are new to the show in the last couple seasons--coworkers, teachers, friends-of-friends, etc. brooke's self-declared best friend doesn't even make it to her wedding, and julian ends up with an eight-year-old for his best man.
i had the privilege of spending time with one of my childhood best friends today. we took pete for a walk and enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant. as we watched the field mouse search for an exit from the porch where we sat and sipped our iced tea, we talked about everything and nothing at all. she asked me if i kept in touch with some of our other friends, and we marveled at how easy it is to slip away from the people you once loved. in a way, our lives aren't really that different from a television drama whose actors' contracts end and characters disappear from scripts.
one tree hill got some slack for the loss of main characters after season six ended, but the show introduced quality new characters and continued for three more seasons before calling it quits. while the storylines went a little crazy in the later years, the characters themselves were good. almost immediately, you cared about them because they cared about the characters you had already loved for years. you were interested to see how those relationships developed. you wanted to see them succeed.
like brooke and julian's wedding, as adults we find ourselves surrounded not necessarily by the ones who were with us at the beginning but simply with the people who renegotiated and signed contracts. the ones who stayed.
this has been a year for the books. at thirty-one, i became a cliche and moved back home into my parents' basement. i sold everything that didn't fit into my parent's minivan and my car. i quit my stable job without a plan for what would come next. i also spent wonderful quality time with my family, explored new creative outlets, became debt free and started my own business.
i am so thankful for friends and family who have been by my side this year. the ones who stayed. the encouragement has been overwhelming at times, and so necessary. i feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by old and new friends who truly sustain me through the tough times and celebrate with me in victory. the random phone call, the texted prayer, the pinterest message joke, the instagram emoji or, yes, even the elusive mailed greeting card...they have fueled my fire.
i am eternally grateful. thank you for staying.
