On Jan. 4, the writers and cast of Girl Meets World announced that the show would not be returning to Disney Channel for a fourth season. This declaration has left me a little bit empty, as I try to grasp the final coattails of my childhood before it disappears completely.
Rowan Blanchard’s Twitter statement:
Girl Meets World has given us so much. It has gifted us the impeccable and impressive activism of teen actress Rowan Blanchard. It has gifted us the talent and breathtaking vocals of Sabrina Carpenter, who just recently dropped her second album. It has taught us heartwarming lessons and revolutionized the well-known family channel for the better.
Arguably, the best thing about Girl Meets World was the fact that it felt like a safe place to go to find friends and unconditional love. The characters had this amazing ability to make a home inside your heart and your head, to make you remember them and the words they’ve said.
Like Rowan said, the writers and cast were able to create a world that felt like it was your own as well. It was something that was so incredibly easy to slip into and made you feel like you were a genuine part of it.
Girl Meets World never made you forget the real world problems either. It brought them up close to your face and dared you to look them in the eye one at a time. The show taught you about cultural appropriation, finding your heritage and the importance of it, took a stance against bullying, and taught girls to embrace STEM subjects and feminism. The writers taught us about Asperger’s and how families aren’t always the wholesome Disney prototype. It showed us hope, and redemption and revival. It told us that it was okay to be ourselves, no matter if we had a slight disability, or if we were a little broken inside, or too excitable, or too different from the rest of the world. It taught us that we could coexist des[ite our differences and that love and friendship could truly triumph anything.
I do not believe this story is over yet. Mr. Matthews is not done being our teacher. And I do not feel comfortable going into Trump’s America without something as great as Girl Meets World to be a shining light in an otherwise dark tunnel. But we are just going to have to make do. We are going to have to remember the lessons and the words the show gave us. We are going to have to remember the love and tolerance the show tried to instill in us. And we are going to have to act on it, every day. We will now continue to take this world into our very own daily realities and try to live the way Feeny and Mr. Matthew’s would want us to. And above all, we are going to have to remember that there is hope for all of us.
I am grateful that all I have to do to dive back into this world is to log onto my Netflix account. Or even pull out my Boy Meets World DVDs if I’m really feeling it. But I know it will not be the same. I can try but there will always be a part of me that longs for more of those classroom lessons and zany banter. There will always be a part of me that worries for Maya, and beams down on Farkle. There will always be a part of me that fills with giddiness and pride at the thought of Riley living her fairytale life the way she does. And I know it will stay with me for a long, long time.
In the end, all I want to say is thank you:
Thank you to Maya, for showing us that there is strength inside your broke-ness and that forgiveness doesn’t always have to be granted if you’re not ready.
Thank you to Riley, for showing us that hope and optimism aren’t overrated- and that positivity can absolutely change your life for the better.
Thank you to Farkle, for showing us loyalty, compassion and fairness and for teaching us that it is okay to grow.
Thank you to Smackle, for showing us that true love is possible even when you think it isn’t- and that it always wins against insecurities. For teaching us that a person is more than just their diagnosis.
Thank you to Lucas, for showing us that a person can change despite their past and that it is important to always be there for your friends, no matter what.
Thank you to Zay, for showing us that unconditional support and love for those in your life is the most important quality to have. I am bitter that we didn’t get to know more about you.
Thank you to Mr. Matthews, for teaching us that people change people and the good deeds we do for other people is what helps make the world go round. For teaching us that we need each other and that we are nothing without the people who exist all around us.
Most of all, thank you to the cast. You all were my extraordinary relationship and I am grateful for the time I got to spend in this world. I can’t wait to see where you all go next.
