Normal
Families
Growing up and watching TV I always believed
that a family that comes from a two parent home with a mother and father is
“normal”. Every show or movie I watched I noticed how the father of the family
always provided and protected the household. The mother of the household always
kept the family together by cooking, cleaning, and nursing the children. The
children always had successful upbringings due to the love and care of both
parents. The families on TV looked happy and complete.
What’s wrong with my family? My father
passed away when I was very young. So I never really had a father figure in my
life. My mother was a single parent raising four kids on her own. My mom did
every thing; she worked, cooked, cleaned, protected, and kept the family
together. I always wondered how could she do all these things without a man. I
always felt like we were missing someone. I always dreamed about my father
coming back so my family could be normal. It showed on TV that normal families have two
parents, so my family must not be normal.
As I got older and wiser reality set in and
I realized that my family didn’t need our father to be normal. We are normal!
Some families have only one parent, some families have two parents of the same
gender, and some families maybe raised by grandparents. We maybe different but
that do not mean we are not normal. People don’t need a father and a mother to
be complete. My mother was a super woman. She played the role of our mother and
father and she worked her BUTT off to give her kids the best. I’m very thankful
for my family and I wouldn’t trade them in for the world. 
Thank you for sharing your personal experience with us. I can completely agree with you because I am also raised by a single mother, however, I never met my father due to the separation of my parents at a young age. It is crazy how much the media affects all of us. We are not only affected by our actions, but even our thinking goes through a shift. A family of a single-parent is completing normal. And for those who have both of their parents, I hope they enjoy them because many like you and I are not as privileged.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree! Families are different but they're still families. I personally was raised and still have both of my parents together. They have been married for more than 20 years I believe. People say I'm lucky and blessed and though i do feel privileged, it's not as rose-colored glasses. I am sure there are many families out there that are probably "happier" and are just living with one parent. Trust me having both parents does not guarantee full "happiness." Not all "normal" families are happy.
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