Ten years ago Will and Grace ended on NBC. Here’s what the sitcom about four friends taught me about pop culture, life, and television.

Taped to the inside of my planner from 2006 on this day is an image produced by my nearly-out-of-ink printer of the cast of Will and Grace taking a their final promotional bow. A sad smiley face sits next to the words, “Will and Grace series finale!” A saved wall calendar shares a similar sentiment. A collection of magazines, one of which is framed, shares the cast’s final photo shoots and fond memories of their time on the set.

Those few items I’ve held onto for 10 years represent the tip of the iceberg that is my collection of memorabilia to the show that introduced me to appointment television, great comedy writing, and the world that exists behind the camera. I started watching Will and Grace when the first few seasons were already in syndication and the sixth was about to premiere — I was 13.

Looking back, I believe I can place myself in the fledgling class of the television watchers who accepted something on TV for what it was about at its core and not on its surface. Will and Grace was a show that starred two gay male leads, but for me it was about something else — love and friendship. Will and Grace will always be my golden show, the one I can always watch because it is untainted. It existed in a time when I did not click on reviews for half-hour sitcoms. My DVDs remained untarnished by the criticism that existed outside my house because the Internet was still just a place for using AIM messenger and maybe doing some homework. And still today, when my other favorite shows are being broken down to expose their flaws, The West Wing, Gilmore Girls, Will and Grace remains above the fray.

None of the politics surrounding the show seeped into my viewing experience inside or outside of my house. Karen popped pills and drank like a fish, and Jack was a revolving door of fun escapades with many men. I was at what I guess could be considered an “impressionable age,” but that did not phase me. My family did not stage an intervention or host a sit-down to “explain” what I was seeing on my screen. The show was funny. It was about four people, two of them just happened to be gay. I watched it for Will and Grace’s friendship, Karen and Jack’s ridiculous relationship, and to laugh.

James Burrows, acclaimed sitcom director and captain of the entire series run of Will and Grace has frequently discussed the musicality of the series. The next time you watch an episode, close your eyes and listen — the comedy sings. The exchanges are harmonious, playful and though the characters are hyper-versions of everyday people, the humor grounded them in their own bubble of reality. Burrows, speaking to Hypable, described the series saying, “To me that was the funniest show I’ve ever done. It was a fairytale literally and figuratively. It was not of the real world in a strange kind of way. These were exaggerated characters. Although they were grounded with Will and Grace, there was this exaggeration that made the stuff you could do and get away with on that show so extraordinary.”

In the 10 years since Will and Grace left my Thursday nights, I still quote the show almost every day. With every single rewatch more and more of the jokes make sense and I get nearly all of the then-popular cultural references. But Will and Grace taught me far more about TV and embracing your individuality than any other series I’ve seen to date. Here are a few of the lessons I took away from the show.

1. A lot goes into making a sitcom work

Will and Grace behind the scenes interviews are a master class in seeing what takes place on taping night. Tuesdays were the day for the cast and crew to warm up an audience, take to the stage and get the show rolling. If a joke did not deliver a laugh, the writers huddled into a circle and rewrote something that could hit that note to make the comedy sing. This is also where I discovered that sitcom writing is not for me. Comedy writers are geniuses. I bow down to their ability to deliver laughs at the drop of a hat.

2. Being a ‘Professional Crazed Fan’ is okay, just don’t stalk Kevin Bacon

From “Fanilow” to “Bacon and Eggs” to “No Sex ‘N’ The City” Will and Grace never shied away from embracing fan culture. When Fraiser, Sex and the City, and Friends both ended on NBC, Will and Grace went meta and asked the question, “Do we actually have to have our own experiences to make life interesting?” New TV, new jobs, new book series are going to come along. Love what you love and love it deeply. Who cares if your friends do not like Champions on Ice, make them go see it and then make peace with the fact that it is your thing. Also have the ability to recognize that it is alright to become deeply invested in something (and as you can see here, the love may go on long past its expiration date) but be open to letting something new in every once in awhile.

3. Your friends can be your surrogate family

Relationships require a ton of give and take. Whenever Grace or Jack were in trouble, Karen and Will were just a call away. But my favorite episodes are when Will and Karen turn their friends away and watch them sort through their own issues. It was never the end of the world, it was tough love. After moving away from your family, your friends begin to take on the role of mom, dad, sister, brother, etc. In whatever capacity that happens, it is important to recognize that they will come to mean as much to you are your blood relations if not more. Rely on them like your family, but be sure to be there for them when they need you as well. The crazier the friend group, the more likely you are to become a well-rounded individual who can cope with anything life throws at you or them.

Dearest, Will and Grace, thanks for the laughs, the tears, and most importantly, for being my gateway to understanding why TV matters and how it can make a difference.