I grew up watching One Tree Hill, and my favorite character was always Brooke Davis. We got to see her grow over nine seasons, and even though the show is long over, I am still inspired by her. I always strive to have the same amount of grace, compassion, and ferocity that she possesses and there are countless reasons why you should want to be like her too.
1. She doesn’t apologize for who she is.
No one is perfect, but she embraces and celebrates herself as all women should. She is assertive and confident. She speaks her mind, even if that means she’s called a B*TCH.
2. She embraces her sexuality.
Women are always condemned if they embrace their sexuality. She is promiscuous and feels no shame in her sex life. We love how fantastically horny she is in her high school days.
3. Rather than competing with other woman, she celebrates their success.
Sexism has this funny way of pinning women against each other. This is difficult to navigate, and we often find ourselves competing with other women. However, Brooke celebrates her sisters successes. Remember when Rachel got the modeling job at Maxim?
4. She’s courageous in discussing her self esteem issues and gender expectations.
While women certainly can be confident, we all have our insecurities. Sometimes we bury them instead of talking about them. Brooke is courageous and honest by coming forward with her self esteem issues.
5. And she overcomes them..
We see Brooke grow so much over her years in high school (Season 1-4), and she really learns how to define herself on her terms. So proud of her.
6. She’s got her priorities straight.
Best friends stick together. It’s important not to let romance come in the way of friendship. Boys may come and go through the years but good friends are forever.
7. She wears her heart on her sleeve.
She knows how to be vulnerable. She gives her heart unconditionally and completely. Watching Brooke cry breaks all our hearts.
8. She started her own business.
We all remember Clothes Over Bro’s, and we were all so proud of her talent and skill. Women in power are sexy.
9. She succeeded, despite her mother’s lack of faith in her.
Her mother always doubted her and wasn’t very good to her growing up. When Brooke told her mother she wanted to start a fashion line, her mother told her she wasn’t that one in a million that could make it. We all cheer for her whenever she stands up for herself like she did in this scene.
10. She speaks out against unrealistic expectations of beauty.
The fashion industry creates such unrealistic expectations of beauty. This hurts not only models in the industry but women in society as well. Not only is she an entrepreneur, but she fights against fatphobia.
11. She is a survivor.
One Tree Hill shows us the harsh reality for survivors of violence. These were some of the hardest episodes to watch, but her resilience and strength was so inspiring. She got her revenge in the end, and we were all cheering for her.
12. Angee.
She became a temporary foster mother while Angee was in America for a surgery that would save her life. She took care of her, loved her, and then had to let her go. Watching Angee get ripped away from Brooke at the airport was devastating.
13. Sam.
She also takes in a troubled teenager (Sam) that was in the foster system and was experiencing homelessness. She helps someone who wasn’t dealt a good hand in life. She rescues her from the same violent man who attacked her in her store. She is a fierce warrior.
14. She is an incredible Aunt.
When the Scott’s car crashes on the bridge and dives into the water, Brooke is the first to dive in after Jamie. When Julian (the love of Brooke’s life) dives in moments later, Brooke pleads with him to save Jamie first. Brooke risked her life for him.
15. She is an incredible friend.
Despite her own troubles, she is always there for the one’s she loves. She is so incredibly selfless, always taking care of others first. She even rescued Peyton and helped fight off “Psycho Derek”. She was also the first to be there for Peyton when Lucas proposed to Lindsey in Season 5.
16. She is wise beyond her years and supports the people important to her.
She uses her experiences to grow as a person, and becomes wiser each day. This means she gives incredible advice to her friends, and they value her for it. She has the incredible way of making you feel safe, beautiful, and loved.
17. She eats. A lot.
We all admire a character who knows how to eat. Brooke loves her body regardless.
18. She is sexy as hell.
Damn. Need I say more?
19. But she also knows her worth.
She doesn’t take shit when people judge her, and she knows her value exceeds her body.
20. And she re-asserts it whenever she is underestimated.
Whenever she is beginning to doubt herself, she knows how to shake it off. She also has Jaime to give her a little confidence boost if all else fails.
21. She stands up for what she believes in.
Don’t f*ck with her. She is fierce as hell and will always stand up for her friends and family. Remember when the new coffee shop owner next door employs the man who attacked Brooke to upset her? Brooke dealt with that accordingly.
22. Despite being told she can’t have children, she gets her happy ending.
In season six we learn that Brooke can’t have children. She gives her heart to Angee, to Sam, to Jamie, and finally a miracle happens and she gets pregnant. We couldn’t be happier for her.
23. And lastly, because she is one of the most beautiful, compassionate, fierce women to ever grace television.
We were all so happy for her when we found out she was pregnant with TWINS! We all hope to be as incredible of a mother as she is.
Brooke Davis gives me feels. It may sound silly, but I often ask myself WWBDD (what would Brooke Davis do?). She is fierce, but vulnerable. Strong, but soft hearted. Confident, yet humble. Wise, yet childlike. We love you Brooke!
Feature Image via screengrab of One Tree Hill.
