Warning: Spoiler Alert
Dedicated Grey’s Anatomy viewers like me anxiously awaited the season finale last week, eager for the answers the penultimate episode left us to wonder about. What was going to happen to Stephanie and the young girl? How was Owen going to handle seeing his sister? Was Meredith going to tell Riggs that Megan was home or try to hide it from him?
All around, this episode was an exciting, nerve-racking 45 minutes of watching the characters push themselves to their limits. While all episodes of Grey’s end in an overall lesson for viewers to contemplate and connect with the different plotlines each episode involves, I felt like this finale had a lot more subtle lessons that were not explicitly described at the end. Here are seven lessons I took away from the attitudes of some of the strongest, smartest, unluckiest characters on television today:
1. It is never too late to overcome your fears
Ben admits to a genuine fear of fire, however, when he realizes he is Stephanie’s best chance of being found, he steps up and runs into the still smoking building. He teaches us that are fears can conquered when they need to be, which is comforting to realize that we are stronger than what we believe holds us back.
2. You are allowed to change your mind about people
At the end of the episode, Bailey decides that Weber was the right choice for the hospital after all. She realizes her mistake, showing viewers that we are not trapped in our decisions.
3. The best way you can show someone you care about them is to be happy for them
While Riggs running off to find Megan was a wonderful, heartwarming moment, it meant Meredith was getting left behind. But her genuine happiness for him demonstrated to those watching that if you truly care for someone you will be there for their good moments, even if they are not the best moments for yourself.
4. The impossible can come true
Megan comes back after being lost in the Middle East for ten years. While this is extremely unlikely and was written in for plot purposes, it shows you that crazy things happen everyday and sometimes things really do work out.
5. It is okay to move on from and let go of people
Riggs and Meredith accept their love for their old partners, while still realizing that they can develop and explore their feelings for each other and leave their dedication to the past behind. They teach us that it is okay to put yourself first and move on into better situations.
6. You are stronger then you know
Stephanie set a rapist on fire, performed surgery on the leg of a young girl without any real supplies, jumped through flames, and ran down stairs engulfed in a dangerous amount of smoke. Badass. Stephanie has always been tough, but the circumstances she was put in forced her to fight more than ever before.
7. Maturity not only strengthens your relationships with others, but also with yourself
Meredith volunteers to tell the man she is technically dating that the love of his life is alive after ten years. She not only willingly tells him this, but also explains to him that he should not feel bad for leaving her; she would do the same thing if Derek were alive (RIP McDreamy #foreverinourhearts). Her self-awareness and understanding of Rigg’s excitement portray a level of maturity many people never develop. This maturity results in an easy way for Meredith to come to terms with their “break-up” and allowed Riggs to feel completely happy, preventing a further drama filled situation. Meredith shows us that taking the mature way out can be all around healthier for everyone involved.
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