Monday, July 8, 2013

Thank you for being a friend.....Life Lessons from The Golden Girls

You remember the TV Sitcom, The Golden Girls, don't you? We could learn a lot from watching Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia!  From September 13, 1985, to May 9, 1992 we laughed, cried, and lived with those four ladies. Shows like this certainly are far and few between. In fact, they really don't make shows like this anymore. I enjoy sipping my morning iced coffee and watching reruns of The Golden Girls on mornings when I just don't feel like sitting on the porch! It's easy to get caught up in the lives of these four characters, creating a friendship within our hearts and minds, almost making us forget that they are just that....TV characters. Who doesn't know a Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, or Sophia in their lives?

As I sit this morning and watch the reruns on TV,  I can't help but chuckle. The genuine friendship between Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia made for some of the funniest TV memories. The lessons that are taught in the episodes of the show are extremely relevant in all our lives. These four characters were sassy yet sweet, independent yet dependent on each other, charming yet at times cunning, witty yet always wise, and raunchy without being completely over the line or inappropriate.

As I sit and watch the episodes this morning, I keep thinking of the lessons that are there for the learning, Golden Girls style.

Things the Golden Girls has taught me:

Life can be fun and bubbly. I think this lesson is the greatest one. People tend to be so uptight anymore, always taking life so seriously. It's tough for some to lighten up, laugh a little, be crazy, enjoy!! Those ladies are always smiling and enjoying each others company. We can all take a page out of that lesson book and remember that no matter how old we get, we still need to take chances and have fun!!!

Finding love (companionship) can happen at any age. Between Sophia marrying Max, Rose falling in love with Miles (Nick), and Dorothy almost remarrying Stan then actually marrying Lucas, the Golden Girls shows us that we should never give up on love just because a relationship didn't work out. Heck, even Blanche had her share of romantic interests. For being older ladies, they never gave up on their quest to find someone to love. 

Best friends are there for each other, no matter what. The show really puts emphasis on the idea that friendship is NOT one sided. In order for a friendship to work, all parties need to be active participants. The episode where Rose had to undergo a triple bypass, the other three friends told Rose's daughter that they had made a pact that if one of them got sick, the others would take care of them. That is the meaning of friendship: All for One and One for All. No matter what happens in your life you stick with those you are close to and love. This is repeated over and over. They might be fighting all the time, but they ALWAYS support each other, they are ALWAYS there for one another, and they ALWAYS forgive each other.

Good People Don’t Just Exist in St. Olaf. Rose is the character who could be credited with starting the Think Thankfully nation. She is a lady who always thinks positively, who always sees the good in everyone and everything, even in the most unfortunate and awkward situations. As long as someone apologizes or means well, then Rose will take it and appreciate it for what it is. Rose truly teaches us that believing in the goodness of others can overall improve how we live our lives.

And in the end, just think of the theme song to The Golden Girls:

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant.
And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend

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