Behind the stethoscopes, surgeries, drama, and infamous love stories between the characters, messages and life lessons are spoken through the dialogue of the characters on Grey’s Anatomy. As a seventeen year old girl whose fantasy (guiltily) is to live the life of Meredith Grey, I have paid close attention to each character’s dialect, as they are always speaking both words of wisdom and honest truth about life in the midst of exhaustion and stress. The following quotes are relatable to my teenage-self, as I try to guide and navigate my way through the obstacles of life.

“Who here feels like they have no idea what they’re doing?” 

I, Abby Katherine Scutch, have no idea what I am doing. I have no idea where I may end up in ten years, let alone where I might be next August. As I transition from childhood to adulthood, I am caught in the struggle of making decisions that will affect me for the rest of my life, such as where I’ll go to college, what I’ll study, as well as coping with the responsibility of being an adult. Simply put, I have no idea what I am doing nor where I’ll end up.

“Oh screw beautiful, I’m brilliant! You wanna appease me, compliment my brain!”

I often think of school as my job without pay. If I spend seven hours in school, and then spend approximately four to six hours or more on homework (depending on how much of a load I have), my day ends up being academically exhausting. Therefore, I like to consider myself “brilliant,”  considering the amount of effort and time I put into my school work. I do my best to strive in school and perform at a high standard. Similar to Christina Yang, I push myself to achieve academically, trying to set myself apart from others. Most times, I am very hard on myself and push myself to the point where I have exhausted my energy both physically and mentally.

“The point is it doesn’t matter what the rest of us think.  At the end of the day, all that matters is what you think.”

We are all individuals. None of us is the same. We have our similarities and we have our differences, but when it comes down to it, we should not put our attention toward what other people think of us. Life is not a competition, even though it is often mistaken as one. Our actions, thoughts, and creativity are what separate us into unique individuals. We should not dwell on our regrets and contemplate how they are viewed by others. Being content with our own lives is what matters at the end of the day. And as Alex Karev said, the only thing that matters is how we think about ourselves.

“Just put one foot in front of the other. Just get through the day.”

My life is a cycle. In other words, I’m a hamster running on a never ending wheel. At 6 a.m., I am promptly awaken by an annoying, loud, irking alarm clock. I have breakfast, get dressed, and make my way to school to be in the chair by 7:40 a.m. At 2:45 p.m., I am released from school and I head home to begin my homework duties. I pause for dinner, and if I’m lucky, I’ll be in bed by midnight. From there, I sleep for about six hours, and then my cycle begins again. The best I can do is push through my days and seek joy and happiness in the small occurrences that happen within my cycle, like drinking tea, reading my Harry Potter novels, and finding inspiration through, in my opinion, the best app created, Pinterest. Meredith Grey makes an excellent example of one who has pushed through several obstacles in life, beginning as a no-name intern to the Chief of General Surgery. From her, I can learn that while I still have time, I need to make the most out of my high school student life and not get caught and stuck in “the cycle” of academic routine.

“I think it’s important to take the time to tell the people you love how much you love them while they can hear you.”

This time next year, I will be sitting in a dorm room with a girl whom I have yet to meet, and I won’t be around my family everyday. It will be a rather odd feeling living in a hall and surrounded by other full-time students. While I can, I plan to spend as much time as possible with my family and make the most out of what time I have left before embarking on my next chapter. Weekend family television nights could not be more valuable than they are now, and the annual picking of the Scutch family Christmas tree could not be more memorable than it is now. So, mom, dad, Kristen, and Lucy and Peggy, I love you. I would not be the person I am today without your guidance, as you have helped me grow into a girl who only has positive influences surrounding her at home  

“Bad things happen, but you have to move past it. Leave it behind. The sooner, the better. Or it’ll eat away at you and stop you from moving forward.”

Life goes on. The world is not going to stop time for one to grieve over an unfortunate thing. We must continue to push forward toward greater and better things. We should not let a bad event discourage us from continuing to strive successfully in life. If we continue to hold onto negative aspects, they will distract us and hold us back from being the best we can. Our lives are full of potential, but the sooner we let go of those “bad things,” the sooner we can grow into people with bright futures and lives ahead of us to fulfill that potential.

“You are my person. You will always be my person.”

I think we all have or should have “that person.” That person does not necessarily have to be a best friend or a family member, but rather, someone to always looks after and someone in which we are looked after. Each individual is worthy of someone to share hardships and joyous times with. We should not go through life alone, because after all, life is better when you have someone to share it with it. Our people are the people we confide in, share, and be ourselves with.  We grow as individuals with this person and share memories that will last a lifetime. Our persons are there with us through the good and bad, through each moment of life. Life would be boring alone.

In all, in my opinion, the hit television series, Grey’s Anatomy, is much more than a medical drama. The show is inspiring in many ways, providing life lessons that can pertain to any viewer, even myself. Though the drama, energy, and life of the characters are desirable, their wisdom, sagacity, and knowledge is worth so much more.