Friend: “You’re watching Gilmore Girls again? lol”

Me: “I watch it when I’m lonely. It cheers me up.”

Friend: “You watch it all the time…”

Me: “I’m either  very lonely or a very happy person.”

I am not an avid television/movie viewer. I haven’t had cable for 10+ years now and the only reason I own television is so I can periodically put something on for background noise when I am doing chores. When given the option to turn something on at night for entertainment, I typically opt out in favor of reading a book. Rather than finding new things to watch I have a handful of favorite shows/movies that I watched more times than I can count. I have no idea who [insert new actor’s name] is, I haven’t (willingly) watched a reality show since I was in high school, and I really couldn’t care less about the latest Marvel movie.

All of that being said, there’s one show that the rules don’t apply to: Gilmore Girls. I have been hooked on Gilmore Girls since I first discovered it around age 14. For those of you who have never seen the show, it’s about a mother-daughter duo, Lorelai and Rory, living in a tiny town called Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Lorelai is a super fun, cool mom who runs an inn and raises her daughter all by herself. She has a strained relationship with her wealthy parents, who also play a prevalent role on the show and in Rory’s life. Throughout seven seasons we watch both women navigate the ups and downs of everyday life and grow along the way. It is a fun and smart show, with lots of witty banter and literary references galore. The kooky townspeople, the grouchy diner owner, and the rebellious best friend are just a few of the side characters who you can’t help but adore.

I first fell in love with the show for it’s fast-paced, quirky dialogue, but over the years I have come to appreciate the fact that I can relate to so many of the situations that the Gilmore ladies encounter throughout their lives. When I was Rory’s age I sympathized with her need to be the perfect student and daughter. The first time she fell in love…her first heartbreak…the conflicting feelings over her distant father…the panic over deciding what to do after college…I was right there with her for all of it. (Plus, there’s that whole love of books thing.)

As I am growing older I am finding that I am relating to Lorelai’s character more and more. She’s got a sassy, sarcastic side that make people either love or hate her. She’s dedicated to the people who treat her well and she’s an incredibly hard worker. Above all of that, however, is that she’s real. She doesn’t sugar coat things or run away from her problems. She’s been through a lot of hardship and has had to make some really difficult decisions. Her poor relationship with her parents has haunted her for years, but despite how much her family has messed her up, she perseveres. She makes mistakes and she falls down sometimes. She picks the wrong men, she wonders if she’ll ever find love, and even though she can take care of herself, she admits that she doesn’t want to be alone.

During all the changes and challenges I’ve endured these past few years I have found myself turning to Gilmore Girls more and more. Partly for the much needed comic relief, but also because it’s nice to have something to be able to feel connected to. Sometimes it’s just nice knowing that there are others who go through the same struggles as you do, even if they are fictional people.