27 Things “One Tree Hill” Taught Us

1. The lyrics to Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want To Be”

2. There are six billion people in the world.

(Six billion souls. And sometimes, all you need is one.)

3. Expectation is the root of all heartache.

4. Some people will walk in and out of your life.

(Sometimes they come back.)

5. … and there’s not always an explanation.

6. Some friendships are worth fighting for.

7. Some aren’t.

8. People don’t always tell the truth.

9. … but it’s important to.

10. Just because you’re not related doesn’t mean you’re not family.

11. It’s okay to be who you are.

12. But it’s not okay to take things for granted.

13. Say what you need to say.

14. Don’t believe everything you hear.

(No, you’re a psycho stalker.)

15. Believe in yourself.

16. Believe in magic.

17. Believe in love.

18. … because love conquers all.

19. You have to go after what you want.

20. … and never give up.

21. … because life is too short.

22. … and it goes by too fast.

23. No matter how much you’re hurting, it will always get better.

24. It’s okay to be fearless.

25. It’s okay to have lazy days.

26. You matter. Your actions matter.

27. … and of course, your art matters.

(Whether it was Peyton with her sketches, Nathan with his basketball, Haley with her music, Brooke with her clothing designs, or Lucas with his novels, we saw how much their art mattered. It was powerful enough to change their lives and the lives of those around them—and so is yours.)