Liz Lemon (30) rocks

ORIGINALITY Television role model champions individuality.

Liz+Lemon+%2830%29+rocks

Liz Lemon, played by Tina Fey on NBC’s “30 Rock,” provides laughs and life advice. Photo courtesy Fan Pop.

This weekend, I completed one of my many life goals: Viewing (with mixed feelings) the series finale of “30 Rock.”

After walking around my apartment wearing night spanx and considering the possibility of buying an entire kiosk worth of hot dogs, I decided a more constructive way to mourn the completion of such a fabulous and slightly old-school TV show was by celebrating the woman responsible for it’s success.

And I’m not talking about Tina Fey.

Liz Lemon — Fey’s character — is my soulmate, spirit animal, sister from another mister, god. She is everything I ever want in my life. I relate to her better than I relate to my diary, and here’s why:

Food

Lemon gets it. Food is your friend. It is there when you need something to distract you, fill you, listen to you. Food is there when no one else is. Lemon also gets that food is a serious matter.

Like Lemon, I believe that mealtime is all the time and enjoying night cheese is the best part of getting ready for bed. Forget the organic, healthy, good for you bull, too. Food is good. It is comfort and it can fix most things. I am a comfort eater, and I like it that way.

Like Lemon, I believe all anyone wants to do is sit and enjoy a sandwich.

Relationships

Dating is something Lemon does reluctantly and with much awkwardness. She basically lives my life. Like Lemon, I don’t believe I need a partner to be happy, successful or worthy, but I’d sure as heck enjoy one, even if it’s just to have someone scratch that hard to reach spot on my back. Lemon dates losers. She dates guys who, basically, suck. She dates some who don’t. She dates real people and reacts the way real people react. Her relationships are often crumby, often awkward, but always real. Most importantly, Lemon knows that she’d rather have a guy who buys her cheese sticks than a drink — and that’s important.

Work

Lemon embodies the idea of loving what you do, without wanting to marry your job. She may not be the pinnacle of balance, but she holds it together, and that’s what counts. Lemon works long hours, balances a love-hate relationship with her staff and isn’t afraid to admit she doesn’t know everything.

Lemon is my ultimate work inspiration.

If you can, please find me one fictional TV character who stays true to their job and does it simply for the love of doing it while wearing a better sweater-flanel combo than Elizabeth Lemon, I’ll give up coffee for an hour.

Mentors

There is no better example of a mentor-mentee dynamic than in the six seasons of the “30 Rock.”

Lemon and her boss and mentor Jack Donaghy are exactly what any person would want out of a mentoring or sibling relationship.

Lemon comes to Donaghy with all her thoughts, questions, worries; and, in return, he explains exactly how and why she’s messed everything up. It’s a beautifully, brutally honest relationship where no one has any questions about how the other feels.

I have a very similar relationship with my cat Bocephus.

Acceptance

Lemon doesn’t care about people’s backgrounds, traits, quirks, personality defects — she harasses them all the same, and I’m totally OK with it. See, Lemon gets it. Everyone has a story: People are depressed, abused, filled with self-hatred, kicked around. They’re afraid of clowns and heights and condiments. They have daddy issues, mommy issues, pet wiener dog issues.

Lemon gets it. She has her own issues too. But, she realizes that even though people have these quirks, you don’t need to treat them with kid gloves — just respect and a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Lemon is confident in her insecurities and that’s what makes me so her.

Carrie Sandstrom is the editor-in-chief of The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].