Love Like David Rose
And other life lessons from Schitt’s Creek to get you through the pandemic
Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis Rose will get us through the inauspicious start to 2021 and the rest of the pandemic.
When we realized that the pandemic wasn’t going away, Schitt’s Creek ended their six season run, just when we needed the Rose family more than ever. Thanks 2020! NOT!
I was late to the party and didn’t find this gem of a show until December, 8 months after the series finale. But it’s lucky for me, because it’s the mood I need after the terror and chaos that surrounded my city on Wednesday.
If you’re not sure what happened in Washington, D.C. this week, scroll through your news feed and you’ll find plenty of stories about the assault on the Capitol building.
But I’m not here to talk about the assault on our democracy. Well today, anyway. Hit me up tomorrow, and I’ll have more to say about the events at our Nation’s Capital.
Instead I’m here to tell you to indulge in a little self-care, delve into Schitt’s Creek, and WHY you NEED to watch the best show ever while the country goes up in flames. Six days in and 2021 isn’t looking like it’s going to be much better than 2020.
You might as well turn on Netflix and start binging on Schitt’s Creek. It’s the mood we need right now.
I watched the first season and was confused as to why anyone thought the show was worth a cult following. But I was wrong. So very wrong.
I’ve fallen in love with each and every member of the Rose family as they move beyond their vapid self-absorption. Their vulnerability is on full display giving viewers their love, laughter, and life lessons.
Here are the most important lessons we’ve learned from Schitt’s Creek and how YOU can apply them to 2021. So grab a little brie and a glass of wine and learn with the Roses.
Choose friends who will weather the storm with you
Season 2, Episode 13 “Happy Anniversary”
Admit it, 2020 was hard. A couple of months into the new year and we were in the middle of a global pandemic. The friends and family who continued to be there for you are the ones you want in your life. Not the ones who forgot you when the poo hit the fan in March.
When the Roses find their way to Schitt’s Creek, they are embarrassed by their new life. They continue to clamor for their comfort of their old life.
Johnny and Moira begin to embrace their new life during a dinner with old friends. After their friends do nothing but complain over dinner and make fun of the town of Schitt’s Creek, Jonny sees them for who they are, nothing more than fair weather friends who had written them off after the Roses fall from society.
It’s during this reunion that Johnny and Moira recognize true friendship as demonstrated by Roland and Jocelyn Schitt who found the Roses a place to live, offered their truck as needed, and included them in the community by inviting them to their parties.
It’s not always good to hold onto the past, focus on what you have
Season 3: Episode 12 “Friends and Family”
If we keep looking back, we’ll never see what’s ahead of us. We aren’t present, and we lose out on the happiness right in front of us.
The Rose family comes back into possession of an overly large family portrait that doesn’t fit in their new home. Johnny is nostalgic over the portrait thinking that it shows the family’s enormous strength.
No matter how hard he tries, Johnny can’t get the portrait to fit anywhere. It’s a cumbersome reminder of their old life that doesn’t fit with their new one.
It’s also a reminder of how unhappy and disconnected they were in their old life. Moira’s right, “It doesn’t fit,” they, “aren’t those people anymore.”
As the family takes the portrait out with the garbage, Johnny agrees that the reminder of their old life fits there. It’s a beautiful metaphor of the shedding of their old life and what holds them back. A reminder of how it’s not always good to hold onto the past.
Don’t leave Anyone Behind
Season 4, Episode 6, “Open Mic”
We never want to be left behind. We always want to be included and to be a part of our loved ones inner circle. It hurts when friendships grow apart and we’re left picking up the pieces and trying to figure out what happened.
One of the more poignant scenes is in Season 4, Episode 6 “Open Mic” where Johnny and Alexis are encouraging Stevie to grow the business of the motel.
Stevie hesitates and struggles to trust that when the business grows that Johnny will walk when it becomes success, thereby leaving her to handle the motel on her own.
Genuinely surprised, Johnny, asks Stevie why thinks he would leave her. He reassures her that, “Nobody’s going to leave you behind.” And Stevie asks, “Can I get that in writing?”
Johnny’s written response is in the new signage renaming the “Schitt’s Creek Motel” to “Rosebud Motel” combining their last names to show that he is all in with her.
When You’ve Got it, Don’t Let it Go
Season 4: Episode 12 “Singles Week”
When you find love, don’t let your insecurities prevent you from holding onto it. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and open.
Several times throughout the show David shares his vulnerability calling himself “damaged goods.” He uses his insecurity to build a wall around himself, afraid to reveal more about himself for fear of losing Patrick.
David also tells Ted, “Sometimes it (love) does work out. Even though everything inside us tells us to protect ourselves. When you’ve got it, don’t let it go.
Embrace 2021
As you embrace all that 2021 has to offer, remember to be like the Roses and grow where you’re planted. Find your own way, let in love, and remember that family is everything.
These lessons from Schitt’s Creek are good for any season. Especially now as we need a little more hope, love, and family.
If you need a little nudge for 2021, remember to believe like Johnny, talk like Moira, love like David, and dress like Alexis.
