THAT’S SISTER SLEDGE THIS SONG REMINDS ME OF LIFE IN
COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL, ALL OF IT.
BEHIND US WE HAVE A WHOLE WALL
OF PICTURES OF SOME WHO WE KNOW
WHO ARE STAFF MEMBERS, LIKE OUR
FAMILY HERE, AND SOME ARE JUST
VIEWERS WHO SENT IN THEIR
PICTURES, AND IT JUST STRUCK US.
LIKE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT
WALL, YOU’RE LIKE, WOW, THAT’S
WHAT THE AMERICAN FAMILY LOOKS
LIKE, YOU KNOW
>> PEOPLE HAVE THIS KIND OF
IMAGE OF THE AMERICAN FAMILY
STUCK FOR MAYBE 30 OR 40 YEARS
AGO, AND THEY THINK, UH-OH, MY
FAMILY DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THAT.
WE HOPE PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT ALL
THESE DIFFERENT IMAGES AND SAY,
OH, MY FAMILY LOOKS LIKE THIS,
OR MY FAMILY LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE
THAT OR LIKE THAT.
THERE’S A MOM THERE, THERE’S NO
DAD IN THAT PICTURE.
THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE TWO
DADS, SOME THAT HAVE TWO MOMS,
SOME THAT HAVE BLENDED FAMILIES,
MULTIGENERATIONAL FAMILIES
MULTIGENERATIONAL FAMILIES >> THEY SAY IF YOU LOOK BACK 50
OR SO YEARS AGO, TWO PARENTS,
FIRST MARRIAGE, AND NOWADAYS,
THAT NUMBER HAS DROPPED TO 46%
BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU DON’T LOOK
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DOESN’T MEAN
THAT YOU DON’T HAVE THE SAME
CONNECTION AND LOVE AND ALL
THOSE THINGS
THOSE THINGS BECAUSE I THINK IT’S WEIRD WHEN
YOU WONDER, LIKE, IS MY FAMILY A
NORMAL FAMILY, YOU KNOW?
>> I GET CHRISTMAS CARDS AND
EVERYBODY IS IN A WHITE SHIRT
AND EVERYBODY LOOKS PERFECT, AND
MY KIDS ARE LIKE, OH, MY GOD,
THIS IS THE POTTERY BARN FAMILY,
WHAT’S WRONG WITH US
I ALWAYS SAY THIS.
THEY COME IN ALL DIFFERENT
SHAPES AND SIZES
SOME ARE BLENDED, SOME HAVE
MOMS, SOME HAVE DADS, SOME HAVE
TWO MOMS, SOME HAVE TWO DADS
THAT DOESN’T MEAN THEY’RE LESS
CONNECTED OR THAT THERE’S LESS
LOVE IN THE FAMILY
I REMEMBER MY PRIEST TELLING ME
MANY YEARS AGO, HE SAID, I’VE
MET MANY, QUOTE, INTACT FAMILIES
THAT ARE MORE DIVIDED THAN MANY
SEPARATED FAMILIES ARE
CONNECTED.
CONNECTED. SO IT’S REALLY ABOUT YOUR
FAMILY, YOUR LOVE, YOUR
TRADITIONS AND HOW YOU DEFINE
FAMILY
FAMILY >> HOW FUNNY, BECAUSE JUST
THINKING, LIKE, EVEN ACOUPLE
YEARS AGO THE IDEA OF FAMILY TO
ME WOULD HAVE MEANT MY MOM, MY
SISTER AND MY BROTHER, WHICH
WHOM I LOVE AND MY BROTHER’S
WIFE AND NIECES AND ALL THAT
STUFF.
STUFF. NOW IT’S SO FUNNY TO THINK HOW
QUICKLY A DEFINITION OF FAMILY
EVEN CHANGES NOW
EVEN FOR ME TO SAY MY FAMILY IS
WEIRD.
WEIRD. LIKE JUST SAYING THAT.
>> WHEN YOU SAY THAT, WHAT COMES
INTO YOUR MIND
>> WELL, WHEN I SAY MY
DAUGHTERS, I THINK THAT’S WHEN
IT REALLY HITS ME IN, LIKE, MY
SOUL
SOUL >> THAT’S NEW.
LAST CHRISTMAS, MY DAUGHTER.
>> MY DAUGHTER
AND JUST THE IDEA OF MAKING
SOMETHING OFFICIAL, WHICH IS SO
CRAZY.
CRAZY. LIBLG
LIBLG LIKE, I ALWAYS FELT LIKE JOEL
AND I AND THE TWO GIRLS, WE’RE A
FAMILY
FAMILY BUT WHEN JOEL PROPOSED, I
REMEMBER YOU SAYING, YOU’RE
GOING TO FEEL LIKE WHEN IT
HAPPENS, IT’S DIFFERENT.
I SAID, NO, IT CAN’T BE
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. IT IS WHAT WE’VE ALWAYS HAD,
LOVE AND A FAMILY.
BUT IT IS DIFFERENT.
>> BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU
MADE IT OFFICIAL OR YOU THINK,
LIKE, OKAY, NOW I KNOW WHERE I’M
GOING AND I KNOW WHO I’M GOING
THERE WITH
THERE WITH >> WE’RE
>> WE’RE AND WE’RE GOING AS A FAMILY.
>> YES
>> YES >> FAMILY MEANS A LOT TO YOU
YOU HAVE A NEW DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
AND SON-IN-LAW
AND SON-IN-LAW >> KATHERINE HAS A STEPSON
THAT’S IN ADDITION TO OUR
FAMILY
FAMILY THAT’S BEEN GREAT.
WE CELEBRATED LAST CHRISTMAS
WITH THEM, BUT NOW THEY’RE
OFFICIALLY A FAMILY THEMSELVES
WE’RE WORKING WITH THEIR FAMILY,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? SO EVERYBODY IS KIND OF LIKE,
ARE YOU GOING TO SPEND CHRISTMAS
MORNING OVER THERE OR OVER
THERE?
THERE? MY OTHER DAUGHTER SAYS, IS SHE
GOING TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH
US
US AND I SAID, NO, SHE HAS HER OWN
FAMILY OVER THERE BUT WE’RE
GOING TO JOIN TOGETHER THE
DIFFERENT FAMILIES ON CHRISTMAS
MORNING, SO WE’RE MAKING IT UP
>> IT’S WEIRD, BECAUSE WHEN YOU
HAVE TRADITIONS THAT HAVE LASTED
20-PLUS YEARS, AND ALL OF A
SUDDEN, ONE CHRISTMAS IT’S
DIFFERENT, IT’S GOT TO BE KIND
OF JARRING
OF JARRING IT’S GOT TO BE LIKE, WAIT,
HAVEN’T WE ALWAYS DONE IT THAT
WAY?
WAY? >> THAT HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I
WAS SEPARATED AND I DID IT WITH
MY PARENTS, AND THEN I HAD A
DIFFERENT TRADITION.
DIFFERENT TRADITION. SO YOU HAVE TO ADD TRADITIONS TO
YOUR TRADITION OR ADD PEOPLE TO
YOUR TRADITION OR ADD SOMETHING
NEW TO YOUR TRADITION.
>> IT’S HARD SOMETIMES
HOW DID YOU DO IT?
WHAT DID YOU DO?
>> I KIND OF HAVE BEEN MAKING IT
UP AS I GO ALONG
I STARTED A THING WHERE WE HAD A
MINISTER COME OVER A COUPLE
NIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND TALK
ABOUT OUR YEAR AS A FAMILY, AND
THAT SEEMS TO BE A NEW
TRADITION.
TRADITION. >> JUST LIKE DISCUSS HOW THINGS
WENT
WENT >> THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF OUR
YEARS, AND THE CHANCE FOR
EVERYBODY, SINCE THEY’RE MOVING
SO QUICKLY AND DOING SO MANY
DIFFERENT THINGS TO CHECK IN
WITH THE OTHER
I WANTED MY OTHER CHILDREN TO
HEAR WHAT CHRISTOPHER’S LIKE IS
LIKE AWAY AT SCHOOL BECAUSE
THEY’RE NOT IN IT DAY TO DAY, SO
WHAT HAS THAT BEEN LIKE FOR HIM,
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT HIM
HE’S COMING UP ON A GRADUATION,
SO MAYBE THE OTHER KIDS COULD
HEAR FROM KATHERINE WHOSE
BIRTHDAY IT IS TODAY
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY >> 30.
>> 30. 30
30 >> THAT’S BIG!
>> THAT’S BIG.
I HAVE A 30-YEAR-OLD
I THINK I FEEL OLD
I THINK I DO
>> LOOK AT YOUR FAMILY
>> LOOK AT THAT PAJAMA SUIT I
BOUGHT BY MYSELF
I PUT IT ON ON THANKSGIVING WITH
THE TAG IN IT.
I HAD TO GET APPROVAL BECAUSE MY
DAUGHTERS, EVERY TIME I HAVE
SOMETHING ON, THEY’RE LIKE,
YOU’RE NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO GO
OUT WITH THAT ON, ARE YOU?
THIS TIME THEY SAID, YOU
ACTUALLY PICKED THAT UP BY
YOURSELF
YOURSELF YEAH, I ACTUALLY DID
>> I CAN’T REMEMBER WHICH
CHRISTMAS IT WAS, BUT YOU ASKED
THEM, DID YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED
FROM US?
FROM US? >> IN THAT GROUP THING, YEAH
DID YOU GET -- DID WE SUPPORT
YOU, OR WHAT DID YOU NOT GET OR
WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US GOING
INTO THE NEW YEAR?
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU
>> I FEEL LIKE HAVING
CONVERSATIONS, LIKE YOU HAVE
IMPORTANT ONES OR BIG ONES
DURING THE HOLIDAYS, I THINK
IT’S EASY TO PUT IT OFF.
NOT TODAY, EVERYONE IS BUSY, NOT
TODAY, PEOPLE ARE TIRED.
WE’LL DO IT LATER.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS NEVER HAPPEN
BECAUSE YOU GET BUSY AGAIN
BUT SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE’RE
GOING TO DO, AND DO IT
>> IF I TAKE STOCK OF MY YEAR,
IT’S THE CONVERSATION, IT’S THE
DINNERS, IT’S THE GET-TOGETHERS
WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT
ACTUALLY ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF
MY YEAR.
MY YEAR. >> I ALWAYS WONDERED, TOO, WHEN
YOU LOOK AT -- WHEN I THINK
ABOUT OUR FAMILY, TOO, WE ALL
LOOK DIFFERENT, WE’RE ALL --
JOEL, ME AND THE KIDS, THEY’RE
OLDER, WE’RE YOUNGER, EVERYONE
IS FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE AND
ALL THAT STUFF
AT THE SAME TIME, I REMEMBER I
SAID THAT TO YOU AT ONE POINT,
EVERYBODY IS SO DIFFERENT, AND
YOU WERE LIKE, NO, YOU’RE CHBLTN
I SAID WHAT?
YOU SAID, YOU’RE A FAMILY.
>> THAT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER,
THIS LOVE THAT CONNECTS US ALL,
BINDS US ALL, THAT’S WHAT MAKES
A FAMILY
A FAMILY ILTS
ILTS IT’S NOT THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN,