Oh, Ted Mosby. From stolen blue French horns to bad shellfish puns, you have taught us so much. How I Met Your Mother may have ended this year (sad face), but the good ol’ Ted’s lessons will always stick with me.
After all, Ted took years to find “The One,” and often made some humorous mistakes along the way. But he never let his belief in love fade, and he finally found the one who loved him for the punny, slightly stuck-up, lovable grammar nazi he is.
Here’s what Schmosby taught us about love.
1. Don’t judge your loved ones based on their past.
Because this was college Ted:
2. After all, no matter where we are in life, everyone has one of those moments sometimes…
…you know, the “two F” moments.
3. And sometimes, those moments can make us lose sight of who we are for a second.
Or just make us into a flaky, somewhat frightening creature, like the authoritative-cool-guy professor.
4. But we all make mistakes.
Because sometimes, they’re necessary.
5. And after those mistakes, we might doubt our ability to find love.
And we may or may not react like this:
6. What we don’t realize at the time is that those moments can often lead us to the best things in life.
If Ted hadn’t hit a major breaking point, Marshall never would have told Ted that he doesn’t really have a bacon allergy, and then he never would have tried bacon.
Enough said.
7. And sometimes, what we think is an unbearable moment in our life can actually become something we are grateful for in the future.
Originally, Ted would not walk 500 miles…
But then…
8. But seriously, a lot of Ted’s mistakes have taught us a lot…like when you should say “I love you.”
For example, saying it on the night after you meet someone…
…may lead to this reaction:
9. But he also taught us to love deeply and without fear.
10. Because it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.
11. But never let that love turn you into a doormat.
If someone totally screws you over, tell them off, Ted-style:
Burn.
12. Because after all, you’ve got a lot to offer, and you shouldn’t be afraid to say it.
When someone says, “Everyone thinks they’re a good kisser,” you say:
13. You deserve someone who appreciates you for who you are.
A perfect person doesn’t exist. A perfect person for you…that’s a different story.
(And Ted has plenty of quirks.)
14. And that person will understand you through and through.
That person will know to read between the lines.
…in fact, they may read between the lines too much.
15. Hold out until you find your lobster.
And when you do find your Lebenslangerschicksalsschatz, celebrate.**
**I am probably the only supporter of the original HIMYM ending, but for those of you who aren’t, you’re welcome. ;)
Featured photo credit: m__ervi via flickr.com
