What Sex and the City taught me about love

The iconic “Sex and the City” TV show ended on 22 February 2004, precisely 15 years ago, and it meant the end of an era, eclipsed by gorgeous Manolo Blahniks, cosmopolitans and cigarettes, cab rides and brunch dates with our four favourite ladies – Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.

I consider myself a fan of this show. I have laughed and cried with each episode, from Carrie’s romantic dramas, Charlotte’s journey to finding the one, Miranda’s independence as a woman and Samantha’s constant “I don’t care” attitude.

If you are planning a binge-watch for the upcoming day of love, you might be surprised to find out that Sex and the City did not film any Valentine’s Day episodes.

Even though love is at the centre of this show, I find the inexistence of a Valentine’s Day special odd. However, Sex and the City still taught me valuable lessons about love and relationships.  

Aside from learning valuable lessons about not spending an entire pay check on a pair of shoes, Carrie has taught me that you can never fight love. Her relationship with Mr. Big was probably not the healthiest of relationships. She consumed the love that lived between them and the love consumed her. She cried for him, she cheated with him, but in the end she found peace and happiness next to her true love.

Samantha taught me that love manifests in many ways and at many times. What I mean by this is that every person has their own ideal and understanding of love. Samantha was the opposite of her best friends. She did not crave eternal love from another person, she desired passion shared with diverse individuals and she did not care if people judged her choices.

Miranda was the strong, independent woman who managed to have the best of both worlds – a beautiful family and a successful career. Often in life, people say that you can either have one or the other, but Miranda taught me that I can achieve anything you put my mind to.

Charlotte was the one that dreamed of a happily ever after, a perfect marriage with an established man and a couple of kids to fulfill her life. She met Tray, a doctor, who unfortunately, had a problem of rising up to her expectations in bed and an overly attached mother. She separated from the doctor and fell deeply in love with her divorce lawyer, Harry. Life threw her unexpected difficulties such as the hardship of conceiving children. Charlotte taught me that I can create my own happiness and to never give up when life hits me with challenges.

The American TV show put emphasis on friendship -it is at the core of the series. I learnt that in life, a soul-mate can be your best-friend, it does not necessarily have to be the person you end up with.

But most importantly, Sex and the City taught me to love myself first. After re-watching it for the thousandth time, I still find deeper meanings behind Carrie’s constant fight to quit Mr. Big’s charms, Samantha’s life lived to its fullest, Miranda’s determination to win guys over with her personality instead of looks and Charlotte’s failed dates.

Sex and the City might have ended 15 years ago, but it still lives on to this day.