9 Life Lessons We Can All Learn From 'Schitt's Creek'

For six seasons, we followed the hilarious and heartwarming journey of the Rose family as they landed in Schitt’s Creek penniless after losing their entire fortune. Unless you’re charting yachts to exotic places, have a collection of high quality wigs, or insist on being couture every moment of every day, the Rose family isn’t super relatable. But when it comes to growing, dreaming, and relationships, the show is practically a self-help book in comedic episodes.

Schitt’s Creek’s exploration of vulnerability peppered with humor makes it the perfect vehicle to be equal parts entertaining and educational. Here are nine solid lessons I learned through the beloved show as well as which character taught me them.

Beauty does not have an age

If Moira Rose (or Catherine O’Hara, the talented actress who plays her) has taught me anything it’s that no matter how old I get, I have full permission to lean into who I am. I’m a fat, tattooed, pierced wife and mother who wears almost exclusively black clothing. As I get older, I don’t really feel a pull to change my style or how I present myself. What I loved most about Moira was her unapologetic take on style as an expression of herself. Watching her don literally whatever moved her was beyond inspirational as a mom coming into her own.

“Winning” looks different to everyone

In a last-ditch bid to prove to his former friends in New York that he made it, David Rose gloms onto the idea of moving himself and his fiancé back to New York with his family. However, his best friend Stevie, reminds him that he already won, and he doesn’t have to live in New York to prove it. It was a really nice reminder that winning doesn’t have to look like how you always envisioned it to. It can change along with your personality and you don’t owe it to anyone either which way.

Love languages are real AF

When Patrick and David get together, we see people who speak two totally different love languages commit to each other and painfully learn how to best express how they feel. Learning not only what a partner’s love language is but also how to speak it is so invaluable. Through Patrick and David I got to see just how that worked first hand, and it honesty made me consciously aware of how my husband’s language differs from mine.

You aren’t too old to reinvent yourself

One of the coolest arcs in the Schitt’s Creek series is Johnny Rose’s evolution as a father and a businessman. He goes from destitution to learning how to do basic things he never dreamed of. But more importantly, he shifts his values from the material world to his family. Moira Rose also bravely takes on new roles outside of her comfort zone in her career and family dynamic as well while shifting what’s important to her. Remembering to keep looking for opportunities to grow can open up possibilities you never dreamed of.

You don’t have to have it all figured out

Stevie Budd goes through at least 4 different identity crisis throughout the show and it is oddly comforting. She goes on a journey that leads her back to where she started but ready to do it with reinvigorated purpose and more intent. What a cool thing to remember — that sometimes a new chapter is really just rewriting an old one.

Second chances are possible

I think that if you look up “second chances” in the dictionary, there will be a photo of Alexis Rose’s face. Not only are we endlessly regaled with tales of her near misses, Alexis finishes everything she starts out to do. She gets a second chance at happiness that involved making tough choices but it ends up behind totally worth it. It’s a nice reminder that even when it’s supposed to be going one way, everything going another way isn’t the end of the world.

Your marriage is as good as you make it

It’s no secret that Johnny and Moira are strange people. They are equally full of quirks, but their loyalty, love, and respect of each other’s space is genuinely remarkable. Love, trust and even a bit of lust are still within reach for the couple, and they stick together even if they occasionally dime one another out.

Being vulnerable doesn’t make you weak

David’s biggest challenge throughout the show was accepting the love he truly deserved. When he learns to open up to it, he not only finds his first real best friend, he finds the love of his life. There really isn’t any way to truly lose when you open yourself up. You may have a greater risk of getting broken hearted, but over all love and joy come into your life.

What not to do as a parent

While the Rose family certainly taught me a lot about how to be, they certainly have a few warnings in there too. Moira and Johnny are without a doubt some of the most detached, clueless parents on earth. And while they spend seasons making up for it, one lesson I can definitely take away from them is that it is super important to be present with your kids. This way my son doesn’t end up being held captive of a yacht or something.

Schitt’s Creek is one of those rare comedies that also digs deeper. Sure, we laugh at the one-liners and crazy situations that come and go throughout the 30-minute episodes. But at the end of the day, the family and friends at the core of the show are why we keep returning to watch again and again. Their journeys, both individually and as a family, are something we can identify with and reflect on and learn from. And the GIFs are also amazing.