This is Us!

Much like the increasingly popular TV show, this IS us. Can you watch an episode without crying? Or a range of other intense emotions rising up within? Probably not. Because This Is Us, is us. What they portray going through is so dangerously close to home. Almost everybody can relate to somebody on the show. This is a real family with real issues. Ok they’re not real but they are doing a darn good job of convincing us that they are. And those tribulations and dysfunctions… us! All of us. This show is a good dose of free therapy (unless your paying for a Shaw channel package to get the show). Still a pretty good deal.

Struggling with weight issues and careers. Failures and death of dreams. Death of loved ones and loss of fathers. Loss of homes. Foster parenting. Adoption. Race issues within the same family. Addictions. Cancer and homosexuality. Rebellion. Depression. Sibling rivalry. Step parents. Parenting, period. Wow. These are not crimes but such as is common to man. This type of drama helps us know we are not alone gives us strength to carry on. And that’s why millions of viewers tune in every week.

I think the reason we all get so emotional about each episode is because there is eventually some issue that you are going to be able to relate to more than you ever thought. You thought that wasn’t a problem for you. Or you were over that. Or you were above that. You’ve been living inside your head because you are convinced there is no way anybody has ever thought these things or felt this way before and you don’t want anyone to find out how weird you are. Wrongo!

I really appreciate the technique of the flashback. It reminds us that who we are today is rooted in what we experienced back then. We have been moulded, shaped and affected by our environment and relationships all along the way. No denying. I’m sure most of us walk away pondering many things in our hearts. And if your particular dysfunction hasn’t come up yet… keep watching.

We fall in love with these characters because they are so raw and real. They are us! I’m going to create a sequel called ‘We are them!’ And now we are more comfortable admitting that ‘this is us’. Just as we are. Raw and real. No pretenses. No phoniness. None of them set out to cause pain or to fail or to be vindictive or conniving. They were just trying to cope.

We don’t have it all together either. Not me, not my family. We deal with life as it happens. Oh sure, we try to be proactive as opposed to reactive but there are just some things that you could never have anticipated and that you just have to deal with as it happens. My childhood was great but not perfect and I’m sure how I react and cope with issues today, at 60, have much to do with the things that happened to me when I was young. I know we like to portray a rosie demeanor over social media but let’s face it, if anyone’s life looks perfect it’s a facade and if anyone claims perfection its a lie.

But it’s each of these trials, struggles, surprises, poignant moments and forged memories that make up a life. We live in the valleys, not on the mountain tops. Life can be difficult. It can be tough slogging at times. There are times when we have no answers. No reasonable solutions. There are times when we are on the top of our game and have our ducks in a row. And for a few short moments we can bask in sunshine on the top of the mountain until it all comes crashing down again, those ducks are prone to wander off. They don’t like being in a row longer than it takes to get a picture of them. Just enough proof that there are good times to keep us going through the bad.

This is me. A life full of gratitude and at times forgetting myself and complaining for a moment. A life full of wonderful memories but negativity often creeping in. A life full of amazing family and friends but also snippets of damaged relationship. A life overflowing with love most of the time but tiny leaks of resentment and selfishness making their way through. A life marked with much success and fulfillment but overshadowed at times by failure and self reproach. This is me. This is life. This is us.