16 life lessons we learned from 'This is Us'

The end of an era
There is no lemon so sour...
Everything is connected
Every life has its shares of ups and downs
Our stories are linked to those of our ancestors
Monetary success doesn't mean happiness
Mental health matters
It's important to embrace cultural differences
Healing doesn't happen overnight
Everyone deals with grief differently
Our parents are not superheroes
Just because a relationship doesn't last
No one knows you like your siblings do
There's no timetable that we all must follow
Sadness and happiness are intertwined
The little things are actually the big things
The end of an era

In 2022, the sentimental six-year journey of the Pearson family came to an end. While it may have broken our hearts in several episodes, there are so many life lessons that we can carry with us.

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There is no lemon so sour...

...that you can't make something resembling lemonade. The doctor who delivers the triplets says this in the very first episode and we see it come alive during the whole series. We can always make the best out of a bad situation.

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Everything is connected

Chance encounters with strangers shape our futures in ways we may never suspect. Jack and Rebecca's elderly neighbors give them an old, used crock-pot that would change their lives forever, leading to the fire and to Jack's death.

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Every life has its shares of ups and downs

This is something we see throughout the whole series: joy and sadness, births and deaths, marriage and divorce, successes and failures.

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Our stories are linked to those of our ancestors

The story jumps in time covering almost 100 years of the Pearson family and we see how the decisions of those who came before us alter the outcome of our lives.

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Monetary success doesn't mean happiness

When we first see Kevin, he's a famous rich actor and a ladies' man, but he's not satisfied. The same goes for Randall, who's a successful businessman but suffers from anxiety issues.

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Mental health matters

Randall had anxiety attacks since childhood, still, he doesn't see a therapist until he's in his thirties. Then he realizes his anxiety goes beyond his job. It's related to his parents and his upbringing as a black child in a white family.

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It's important to embrace cultural differences

Even though Randall is raised in a loving family, the Pearsons never acknowledge his blackness or the racism that happens in the US, until his therapist encourages him to speak to his adoptive family about this.

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Healing doesn't happen overnight

Kevin has to go through alcoholism and a long process to find his way in life. Kate struggles with her weight and self-esteem for a long time until she embraces who she is. Randall goes through a long process to be able to forgive his birth parents for abandoning him.

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Everyone deals with grief differently

After Jack's death, we see how the big three and Rebecca, are all affected in different ways and have different reactions.

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"What ifs" can do a lot of damage

When Randall goes to a therapist, he tells her that if his dad hadn't died, everything would've been different, but the therapist makes him realize that that's just an idealist view of life and that there's no way he could know how his life would've turned out.

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Our parents are not superheroes

They are human and make mistakes, and usually, they do the best they can with the knowledge and awareness they had.

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Just because a relationship doesn't last "forever" doesn't mean it was unsuccessful

We all wanted to believe Katoby would never end but the truth is, we all grow and change through life and we don't always do it in the same direction as our partners and that's okay.

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No one knows you like your siblings do

The show constantly highlights the importance of family, but it also portrays how rivalry between siblings is so common, in childhood, as well as in adulthood. Nevertheless, it shows the importance of mending those unique relationships.

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There's no timetable that we all must follow

Kate always feels like she's behind her brothers. While they marry young, she meets her first husband in her late thirties and doesn't have a job she loves until her forties. But we learn that it's not too early or too late for anything. Everyone is on their own timeline.

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Sadness and happiness are intertwined

If something makes you sad when it ends, it's because it made you happy while it was happening. At the end of her life, Rebecca realizes how sad she is to go, and William reminds her it's because she had a wonderful life.

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The little things are actually the big things

We collect little moments every day but don't really realize their importance until we're older. Something as simple as having comfort food made by your mom as a kid can become one of your best memories as an adult.

Photo: Instagram @nbcthisisus