Because every family has a story...THIS IS US

The big buzz around this month are the Emmy's. And one of the last season surprises was a tv show that goes back to the traditional tv drama series. Far from big novel adaptations or sci fi, but focusing only in the story of it's characters. "This is us" (2016- current), is a hit and ow a multi nominated tv show that left all the country in tears after immerse us in the story of a traditional middle class family that could be anyone's or from anywhere. And that's the heart of the story. We become so founded into this characters and their story that only can thing about our own lives and the story that everyone has to tell. Every episode we get to experience a new episode in this family lives and learn in the process more about our own. And that is exactly what makes this new series so special, because anyone can relate to it, and their struggles are real. They face the same kind of situations that any person can go through while living with their family or was raised by one. And it will hit you, when come to realize that we might share more in common with the rest of us than we though. No matter where we grew up or under what kind of education or religion, all families as a structure lead with the same kind of situations and to each one of their members will affect in similar ways and even the consequences will be different for anyone under each one's circumstances, we all share that feeling of happiness and  love but struggle and frustration that comes with that baggage call family.  And that is why the magic of a tv show that takes one of this families to expose them and prove this theory makes it so special by presenting them self as "hey world, this is us".

The show moves in between two period times, the one in past, not working as a flashback but as a complementary and different line when all the characters were living together as a family back in the 80's-90's and the present time when the kids are now grown ups and are struggling with the afterwards of become an adult and all the baggage they carry from their childhood. So we met Jake, the father, a young man coming from a dysfunctional family, with an abusive father, where he grew up closer to his mom that encourage him to be better than his dad and pursue the family we couldn't have. Growing in a low class environment, he seems forced to work harder to make his living and help his mom to leave his father. Reason why when he cross paths and meet Beth he can't but fall for her as the strong independent woman for her time she is trying to be, moving away from the shadow of her controlling mother that while trying to help her and looking after the best for her, has only been bringing her confidence down. So when these two find each other and chemistry feels right, they feel motivated for the other motives and engage in something casual that moves to something serious ending in marriage as an impulsive move from two young lovers that want to build a new life and escape from their past but as young as they are, they're full of ideals and goals so kids and settle doesn't seem the right thing plus they need to explore marriage and their relationship first, because at least this couple, are in love and are together for the right reasons, so as they try to do the right thing, every move has to be planned and avoid mistakes that can take their relationship down.

But eventually kids will come to the table, just by how things happen, life surprise them with triplets, and by the end of her pregnancy, she feels like going to explode, carrying three babies inside her, has turned her into a big woman and her husband can't even recognize her for the mood she has every day, after having so much fun during early stages of her pregnancy, when all the excitement and changes were a very welcome surprise but now just feels like too much. Sadly when the moment comes, they lose one of the babies, remaining with two, a girl and a boy. But again destiny plays a factor in their story, bringing them the opportunity to adopt a black baby boy that has been abandoned at the local fire station and now is  waiting at the hospital to see what life awaits for him. That's how we meet Kevin a successful and handsome actor that is having a middle life crisis at his 30's after being at a popular sit com, he wants a change, to prove he is a serious actor, reason why he publicly quits and moves to NY in order to pursue a career in theater by producing a play that could place him as the next Broadway star. But as we see him when a kid, we can realize how all these make sense, and was just matter of time, because since little he was craving for attention, always trying to be the center of everything and being dramatic about everything and everywhere, stealing every second from his siblings and because he turned to be the a good looking boy, never had any trouble for that, but he suffered the curse of be an attractive face once that he can get away with everything making him fail in his relationships, with girls and his own family, pushing him to become more a loner just for his sister Kate who has the patience to listen to him and enjoying living through his experiences.

And that's the sad face we get to see from Kate, a woman that has always suffer for her overweight. First as a kid, being bullied by the other girls and lacking of attention from the boys,  making her an insecure and sad person that can't fully enjoy life other than those moments when her dad tried to make her happy and show her how beautiful of a person and a woman she is besides her looking. And in fact she is, a very pretty woman, just overshadow by her weight and obsession to lose it and look like all the skinny girls in town or the magazines. That's why she devotes all her time to try any option to lose weight, until meeting a guy that is in the same place but in difference as her, he makes fun of his situation and refuses to feel miserable by the circumstances bringing a new joy and fun to her life, but mostly offering what she's been hoping for: love. Unfortunately life is not a fairy tale and she can't just fall in love with him or anyone else because she doesn't love her self first and because of that she is incapable to love others and turn off her obsession to become someone that she is not. And sadly we live in a society that judge us by the cover so she also needs to build her confidence to shut out all the judgement from others and accept who she is. But how many times do we see things like this?  How many people do we know or are out there feeling miserable because they are not who they want to be or because they were told that be that way is wrong? Who  are we to decide that for others, specially when they are good people? We try to build a prefect society that will look perfect in the outside but once we look deeper will be all messed up and damage because we value more the appearances that the real soul and essence of anyone.

And last is Randall, the adoptive son that even has been always treated as their own, he can't but feel like an outsider always feeling different from the rest even he has been loved and accepted no matter how he looks or his real background is, and his siblings treat him like one of them, fighting and loving each other every step of the way, and he is in fact different but not in a bad way, he is more private, not as social as his brother Kevin, he loves math and science, he is more organized and focus on perfection, reason why he is successful but also suffers anxiety and tries to rise his own family with the same love he was raised with, even now that has finally found his real father and is spending time with him, to get to know him in a way to get to know himself, because how many times we blame our parents for the person we have become, for all the qualities we don't like or annoyed us just to realize we are like these because of them, maybe are their genes maybe we are just imitating all what we learned when kids. True fact is that family shape us and we are more involved that we'd like in that group that keep following or hunting us for the rest of our lives because no matter how successful you've become those christmas full of traditions and special moments with them will be stuck in your mind and you'll try to bring and share the same happiness to your beloved ones. And if you think your family is special or annoying or crazy of fun, wait to meet your neighbors or any other one at the other side of the world and you'd be surprise how many similarities we share and how amazing is the fact that we all go struggle with the same issues and enjoy the same things, but if need more evidence about what i'm talking about just take a glimpse of this family and you'll be surprise of how similar we all are and how you can relate to others when understanding where they come from.