Grey’s Anatomy: An all-too-popular medical drama series that gets all-too-real. This intense American drama brings us through life and death, love and loss, joy and pain; emotions that are so personal and so real to us. Each episode presents to us new life lessons, and below are just 10 of the most memorable quotes from this brilliant (and still ongoing) 12-season series.

“A wise man once said you can have everything in life if you sacrifice everything else for it. What he meant is, nothing comes without a price. So, before you go into battle, you better decide how much you’re willing to lose.”

– Blues For Sister Someone’, Season 2 Ep. 2

“Turns out sometimes you have to do the wrong thing. Sometimes you have to make a big mistake to figure out what is right. Mistakes are painful, but they’re the only way to find out who you really are.”

– ‘What I Am’, Season 3 Ep. 4

“In some ways, betrayal is inevitable. When our bodies betray us, surgery is often the way to recovery. When we betray each other, the pathway to recovery is less clear. We do whatever it takes to rebuild the trust that was lost. And then there are some wounds, some betrayals that are so deep and so profound that there is no way to repair what was lost. And when that happens, there’s nothing left to do but wait.”

– ‘From A Whisper To A Scream’, Season 3 Ep. 9

“We’re all damaged, it seems. Some more than others. We carry the damage with us from childhood, then as grown ups we give as good as we get. Ultimately we all do damage, and then we set about the business of fixing whatever we can.”

– ‘Damage Case’, Season 2 Ep. 24

“Change. We don’t like it. We fear it. But we can’t stop it from coming. We either adapt to change or we get left behind. It hurts to grow. Anybody who tells you it isn’t is lying. But here’s the truth: sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And sometimes, change is good. Sometimes change is everything.”

‘Let The Truth Sting’, Season 4 Ep. 3

“Maybe our old wounds teach us something; they remind us where we’ve been, and what we’ve overcome; they teach us lessons about what to avoid in the future.”

– ‘Scars and Souvenirs’, Season 3 Ep. 18

“We pick and choose who we want to remain close to. And once we’ve chosen those people, we tend to stick close by no matter how much we hurt them. The people that are still with you at the end of the day; those are the ones worth keeping. And sure sometimes close can be too close, but sometimes that invasion of personal space, it can be exactly what you need.”

– ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’, Season 3, Ep. 10

“No matter how hard you try, no matter how good your intentions, you’re going to make mistakes. You’re going to hurt people, you’re going to get hurt. And if you want to recover, there’s really only one thing you can say. ‘I forgive you’.”

– ‘The Heart of the Matter’, Season 4 Ep. 4

“We don’t like to lay vulnerable on the table, because we know how deep some injuries can go. But vulnerability isn’t the opposite of strength. It’s a necessary part. We have to force ourselves to open up, to expose ourselves, to offer everything we have, and just pray that it’s good enough. Otherwise, we’ll never succeed.”

– ‘Got to Be Real’, Season 11 Ep. 3

“We assume the really serious changes in our life happen slowly, over time. But it’s not true. The big stuff happen in an instant. Sometimes you don’t know anything’s changed. You think you’re still you, and your life is still your life. But you wake up one day and look around and realize you don’t recognize anything.”

– ‘Blink’, Season 6 Ep. 11