Friday, August 15, 2014

I love watching Parenthood

Simple and easy, I love watching Parenthood. A few years ago when Parenthood began, I thought "Oh boy, I just love some of the actors and actresses in this show, I hope the pacing can carry such a big ensemble!" It took a few episodes but I was quickly hooked.
I have a confession to make, I'm a huge tv addict. I am additionally a huge reader. Some friends don't see how the two can combine, some don't have a tv at their home... but I honestly find the two to provide a helpful balance in life. Often my brain doesn't actually want to input new books after working all day in a library reading aloud, looking at computer screens, and promoting literature. It just wants to decompress. I used to (for over 20 years) watch numerous soap operas. Since I moved to another country, I've finally completely given up that addiction... and now am instead enjoying tv shows.
So, Parenthood. Why do I love it so much? Because it reaches a variety of ages. It carries on numerous plots that I normally care about. It is thoughtful and touching. The first few times my husband walked into the room while I was watching the show he said "Oh, you're watching that show where they yell at each other". And I admit, there were numerous episodes where the characters get loud and almost talk over one another, but it was because they cared. Not just because they were obnoxious.
I miss the days when I had friends I could chatter with about tv shows. Gone is that time. So instead, I enjoy the show on my own and grow watching it. Last season one of the main characters, Kristina, was diagnosed with breast cancer. This show delivered how quick, upsetting, impacting, and devastating the news was to the immediate and extended family. Talk about people pulling together and supporting one another. Even those who had those tenative relationships, they supported one another beautifully. I sat and thought to myself, "I appreciate watching how this is developing even though it is heart wrenching. It is realistic and helps me sort out my feelings..."
So, I hate hospitals. I lost an uncle to cancer when I was young. A grandmother to a heart condition. Another grandmother to Alzheimer's. By the time I was 15, I had one grandparent left but numerous beautiful memories. I hate hospitals. I've barely ever visited friends when they had a baby, I've visited them after they're home from the hospital. I'll support others from a distance and visit after they're out of the hospital. I just hate hospitals. (More recently I have visited and supported friends in the hospital though...)
I've supported from afar family members who lived in the hospital as their child fought, and won, a bout with cancer. I've supported from afar a former student struggling with her cancer fight. I hate cancer.
Now, I've been in the hospital more frequently than I'd ever expected.
Parenthood helped me mentally prepare for this journey, even though it is a fictionalized account of life.
I blog quite a lot about life on another website. I decided that the website was quite public and this blog would be more personal. Since I'm accustomed to sharing my thoughts and feel at ease writing and find it to be a healthy outlet, I decided to share here vs. just keep a more private journal. So this is more for close family and friends who know about this journey I'm on...
So, this will be my brutally honest account of my little life journey that has been temporarily, I hope, interrupted.

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