All Things Blended!

It seems that "blended families" are all the rage theses days. We're starting to see ourselves show up in some very traditional places. Take for instance, the latest State Farm Insurance ad. As two adults wed, their children from previous marriages look on, becoming more convinced by the couple's kiss that they should somehow participate too.

I also stumbled upon a show called "Donny Loves Jenny," about actor/singer Donny Wahlberg and his new wife, radio host Jenny McCarthy. The episode that I watched was partiularly geared to watching Donny take charge of Jenny's son Evan. While the episode focused on Donny's struggle to get Evan to and from school, and all of the accompanying challenges, the heart of the story was the love that Donny has for his new stepson.

I've even heard from some of you about the increasing number of stepfamily and blended family cards out there for holidays! What a relief to know that we no longer have to create our own awkward messages on those "To My Daughter" cards just to show that we aren't angling for primacy in our stepchildren's familial relationships.

It does my heart good to see such positive stepfamily/blended family images out there. I hope we continue to see this shift in the perceptions of media and society alike.