I have watched them for over a decade now. Even before I could make much sense out of it, I remember being amazed by these characters. Then, slowly sense started dawning and by 2004, when the show was wrapping up and I was away at boarding school. My mother informed me the last season was airing soon. All of us in the dorm huddled and talked about it for hours and could simply not wait till summers to catch the season finale. Many years since, I still watch those repeats every time they air on television, even better the last year I have watched them at my own leisure by owning all the epic series on my laptop, a click away. F.R.I.E.N.D.S
It is only the last 4-5 nights, I have spent wide awake and in the company of these episodes that I realize how much this show has taught without as much as a second of classroom teaching. There is wisdom parted with in all those laughs and tears. This show even back when we weren't used to the idea of homosexuality opened our minds to it. Ross the paleontologist and his later revealed lesbian wife Carol tapped homosexuality and made us accept it. I for one, am so comfortable with that orientation. Not that I am one or know anyone who is. But, I understand it and have no qualms with it. We are all gifted and created by a superior power and if he willed for it to be a certain way, well thank him and appreciate it.
It was alright for Rachel to leave Barry at the alter. Why? Because she chose love over the green papers! Over the episodes she evolves into the independent, absolutely ravishing lady from the very lost girl in the very first episode. Inspiring to say the least. Yes, she is made out to be quite the blonde but she proves them all wrong with a very strong mind of her own. Not only does she cut out the credit cards from her father, she also earns her bucks and spends it too. She falls in love, loses her trust and doesn't quite gain it back till she is sure. Right there, not one to be weakened but to hold her ground and take her own time. She mothers a love child and goes on to show that it is alright, it can be done and a signature on a paper isn't going to prove how a marriage would work out.
Phoebe, with all her quirks and wisdom. How many of us have that one friend in our lives, who is out there, speaks her mind loud and clear, has the utmost weird stories from her childhood and maintains herself the way she is year after year while the rest of us try to fit in? Can we think of someone like that? I can't. But, I do look for a Phoebe in all my friends, in myself too. Phoebe says, no we don't need to fit in. We need to be our self. The world is going to push you to change yourself and your ideals. But, is that worth losing yourself and becoming one of them? Ah NO way! She falls in love multiple times and gets rid of the guy the second she has to compromise on her ideals. There is the bold truth in her character. She finds Mike who accepts her for what she is. With all her rats, her ghastly paintings and all her quirks. Now, right then she doesn't mind dressing up for his upper east side parents, all for the Love of Mike and for the one who accepted her for what she is.
Monica! For every time we have belittled the little fat dorky ones in class, look what this one turns out to be? Yes, I know she molds in to someone who perfectly fits in the crowd. But, hey is there a single episode we don't notice the little fat girl who is hidden in that slim suit? Monica is a character I often see shades of me in. She finds everything she ever looked for, in Richard but she could let even that go when he tells her a family isn't what he wanted. If she could let go of love, must we really crib about the minute things we crib about? Would you accept a friend back in your life if they returned over a decade later? She accepts Rachel with all her heart. She toils in the kitchen when Joey wants turkey and Phoebe wants her mashed potatoes. Of course she seeks appreciation, but she does what ever it takes to spread the love she has. She doesn't fail to be a constant support to Ross. When every one called him gay, Monica sees the man behind the funny guy-Chandler.
Chandler!! I wish all of us had a Chandler in our lives. I know Chandler portrays the care free happy joke joke joke guy, but there is SO much more that character conveys. Chandler is the eternal friend. He pounds guilty for lying to Joey, he's terrified of Ross for going behind his back and dating Monica. He's there for Rachel when he thinks she needs a friend and he is the perfect husband to Monica. Chandler's character says, so what If I have no job and I live on my wife's job, if I have to find something I love doing? So what, if she wants that big wedding? And he proves he has the best heart when he doesn't blame Monica when they cant conceive. The show talks about IVF, surrogacy and adoption at a time when these concepts were just finding their space in the world. Chandler is a honest man, one that can't take lies and a man who accepts he may not be everything Richard was, but he can be exactly the guy who'll keep Monica happy, eternally!
He may not share food, nor remember the names of the ladies he bed, but Joey hands down is the nicest guy on the show! He steps up when he thinks Phoebe is pregnant and proposes to marry her. He doesn't think twice about letting the love of his life, Rachel get away because he wouldn't hurt Ross. He steps up once again, when Rachel has a baby. He waits with a baseball bat outside Monica and Chandler's when he thinks Monica is cheating on Chandler. He questions Mike, like he were Phoebe's dad before Phoebe and Mike get married. He gives Phoebe her magical Kiss. He does what ever it takes to keep Monica and Chandler's love story hidden. He never takes advantage of Rachel's vulnerability. There, that's what friends are for!
So what if you are divorced thrice and dating girls from various age groups and education fields, if you have loved and felt it, you'll have it..isn't that what really Ross is about? Behind that geek, is really a man who loved the same girl ever since Junior Prom. He loved, had, cheated, learned his lesson and waited (of course married and dated a few in between) till the love of his life came around. Don't we learn to 'accept' from Ross? Albeit with a lot of fuss, he accepts Carol is gay, he accepts Susan and Carol bringing up his son Ben. He accepts Rachel needs her space and has to live her life. He accepts to take over baby sitting Emma and asking Rachel to go have fun! He accepts, Chandler is perfect for Monica. He accepts his little sister is not little any more. He accepts Phoebe's anger towards him and helps her realize why? He accepts Joey's love for Rachel. Right there, acceptance!
FRIENDS, took us through homosexuality, through ups and downs of good jobs, bad jobs and no jobs. Of living with friends and moving on. Of loving and losing. Of Christmas and Hanukkah. Of old Christmas trees and Young Christmas tress. Of dating the young and the old. Of conceiving and carrying babies for your brother and his too old wife. Of surrogacy and adoption. Of being part Jew. Of being fat and thin. Of being perfect and failing. Of being imperfect and winning. Of patching up with lost family and accepting them. Of forgiveness. Of making new friends and never losing the old ones.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S for me is all about this and I hope I never get over the repeats and I hope I keep discovering more goodness in them.
It is only the last 4-5 nights, I have spent wide awake and in the company of these episodes that I realize how much this show has taught without as much as a second of classroom teaching. There is wisdom parted with in all those laughs and tears. This show even back when we weren't used to the idea of homosexuality opened our minds to it. Ross the paleontologist and his later revealed lesbian wife Carol tapped homosexuality and made us accept it. I for one, am so comfortable with that orientation. Not that I am one or know anyone who is. But, I understand it and have no qualms with it. We are all gifted and created by a superior power and if he willed for it to be a certain way, well thank him and appreciate it.
It was alright for Rachel to leave Barry at the alter. Why? Because she chose love over the green papers! Over the episodes she evolves into the independent, absolutely ravishing lady from the very lost girl in the very first episode. Inspiring to say the least. Yes, she is made out to be quite the blonde but she proves them all wrong with a very strong mind of her own. Not only does she cut out the credit cards from her father, she also earns her bucks and spends it too. She falls in love, loses her trust and doesn't quite gain it back till she is sure. Right there, not one to be weakened but to hold her ground and take her own time. She mothers a love child and goes on to show that it is alright, it can be done and a signature on a paper isn't going to prove how a marriage would work out.
Phoebe, with all her quirks and wisdom. How many of us have that one friend in our lives, who is out there, speaks her mind loud and clear, has the utmost weird stories from her childhood and maintains herself the way she is year after year while the rest of us try to fit in? Can we think of someone like that? I can't. But, I do look for a Phoebe in all my friends, in myself too. Phoebe says, no we don't need to fit in. We need to be our self. The world is going to push you to change yourself and your ideals. But, is that worth losing yourself and becoming one of them? Ah NO way! She falls in love multiple times and gets rid of the guy the second she has to compromise on her ideals. There is the bold truth in her character. She finds Mike who accepts her for what she is. With all her rats, her ghastly paintings and all her quirks. Now, right then she doesn't mind dressing up for his upper east side parents, all for the Love of Mike and for the one who accepted her for what she is.
Monica! For every time we have belittled the little fat dorky ones in class, look what this one turns out to be? Yes, I know she molds in to someone who perfectly fits in the crowd. But, hey is there a single episode we don't notice the little fat girl who is hidden in that slim suit? Monica is a character I often see shades of me in. She finds everything she ever looked for, in Richard but she could let even that go when he tells her a family isn't what he wanted. If she could let go of love, must we really crib about the minute things we crib about? Would you accept a friend back in your life if they returned over a decade later? She accepts Rachel with all her heart. She toils in the kitchen when Joey wants turkey and Phoebe wants her mashed potatoes. Of course she seeks appreciation, but she does what ever it takes to spread the love she has. She doesn't fail to be a constant support to Ross. When every one called him gay, Monica sees the man behind the funny guy-Chandler.
Chandler!! I wish all of us had a Chandler in our lives. I know Chandler portrays the care free happy joke joke joke guy, but there is SO much more that character conveys. Chandler is the eternal friend. He pounds guilty for lying to Joey, he's terrified of Ross for going behind his back and dating Monica. He's there for Rachel when he thinks she needs a friend and he is the perfect husband to Monica. Chandler's character says, so what If I have no job and I live on my wife's job, if I have to find something I love doing? So what, if she wants that big wedding? And he proves he has the best heart when he doesn't blame Monica when they cant conceive. The show talks about IVF, surrogacy and adoption at a time when these concepts were just finding their space in the world. Chandler is a honest man, one that can't take lies and a man who accepts he may not be everything Richard was, but he can be exactly the guy who'll keep Monica happy, eternally!
He may not share food, nor remember the names of the ladies he bed, but Joey hands down is the nicest guy on the show! He steps up when he thinks Phoebe is pregnant and proposes to marry her. He doesn't think twice about letting the love of his life, Rachel get away because he wouldn't hurt Ross. He steps up once again, when Rachel has a baby. He waits with a baseball bat outside Monica and Chandler's when he thinks Monica is cheating on Chandler. He questions Mike, like he were Phoebe's dad before Phoebe and Mike get married. He gives Phoebe her magical Kiss. He does what ever it takes to keep Monica and Chandler's love story hidden. He never takes advantage of Rachel's vulnerability. There, that's what friends are for!
So what if you are divorced thrice and dating girls from various age groups and education fields, if you have loved and felt it, you'll have it..isn't that what really Ross is about? Behind that geek, is really a man who loved the same girl ever since Junior Prom. He loved, had, cheated, learned his lesson and waited (of course married and dated a few in between) till the love of his life came around. Don't we learn to 'accept' from Ross? Albeit with a lot of fuss, he accepts Carol is gay, he accepts Susan and Carol bringing up his son Ben. He accepts Rachel needs her space and has to live her life. He accepts to take over baby sitting Emma and asking Rachel to go have fun! He accepts, Chandler is perfect for Monica. He accepts his little sister is not little any more. He accepts Phoebe's anger towards him and helps her realize why? He accepts Joey's love for Rachel. Right there, acceptance!
FRIENDS, took us through homosexuality, through ups and downs of good jobs, bad jobs and no jobs. Of living with friends and moving on. Of loving and losing. Of Christmas and Hanukkah. Of old Christmas trees and Young Christmas tress. Of dating the young and the old. Of conceiving and carrying babies for your brother and his too old wife. Of surrogacy and adoption. Of being part Jew. Of being fat and thin. Of being perfect and failing. Of being imperfect and winning. Of patching up with lost family and accepting them. Of forgiveness. Of making new friends and never losing the old ones.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S for me is all about this and I hope I never get over the repeats and I hope I keep discovering more goodness in them.
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