(gentle guitar music) (birds chirping)
- Foster care really helped me
to see that there's so many other people in the world
who don't have what everybody else has.
- So what we try to do during this season
is see what are some ways that we can do something
to lift someone up who's going through a tough time.
- I'm Nico Tortorella.
I'm an actor, an activist and a firm believer
that our differences actually make us stronger.
I'm on a journey with IKEA, to meet real people
and discover the diverse and spectacular ways
they celebrate the holidays.
Maybe you celebrate on just one day,
enjoying time with your family.
Or maybe you celebrate throughout the entire month
and spend that family time helping others,
like the Berry family here in Indiana.
- I'm Mike Berry.
- And I'm Kristin Berry.
- We're both authors,
and we also are bloggers and podcasters.
All eight of our children were adopted.
There are 10 of us, total.
We have three grandchildren,
and we also have two son-in-laws, so 15.
We are an all-American family.
(gentle guitar music)
- The Berry family consists of a group of people
from all different walks of life.
And this farm really is a place to come together and heal.
(upbeat guitar music)
Tell me a little bit about this farm.
- Oh man, this farm, is, it's our oasis.
It's perfect for a family like ours,
because it's out in the middle of nowhere.
It's been a really good sanctuary for our family.
We have six children living at home, very active.
They have big imaginations, love adventure
and we recognized that our children just needed space.
We really wanted to give them a place
where they could just make lasting memories.
(donkey snorting)
- There's really something very soothing and healing
about being around animals.
So for our kids, the connection with the animals
that we can have out here is priceless.
(gentle music)
- We all come from different backgrounds
and different families,
and so this season can really be triggering.
One of the things that we do is celebrate Advent.
It takes the focus off of this one day
that can bring so much anxiety and anticipation,
and excitement, but it can sometimes be too much.
By breaking up those four weeks before,
we can really celebrate the whole season
in a more relaxed way.
(gentle guitar music)
- I'm beyond impressed with this family;
every December they find time to create
these care packages for other families.
- Throughout our life as a foster and adoptive family,
people have given us things.
We really became aware of how it feels
to have somebody support us during those tough times.
And so one aspect that we wanted to draw
into our celebration of the holidays
is giving to others, but giving to others
in a way that brings respect and dignity.
- When you're pulled from your home
and placed in a home with people you don't know,
it can feel like a loss of identity.
This care package can bring a sense of normalcy
and a sense of together.
- They're creating real memories
and hopefully some of those can be really positive memories.
- The holidays are not just about our nuclear family;
it's about giving outside of ourselves.
That's what they wanna leave behind
with these care packages.
- What's everyone's favorite part about this tradition?
- Doing something nice for other people.
- Makes me feel happy.
- We were all part of the foster care system,
so it feels good to give it to people
who are, like, going through what we used to go through.
- We're gonna teach him that Santa's more
than just a person, that it's something that anybody can be.
- Santa lives kind of in all of us,
it's just up to us to tap into it.
That's beautiful.
- Christmas is something bigger than just ourselves.
And our hope is that our children carry that
into their adult lives.
That when they look back on their childhood,
of course, they remember the gifts,
and of course they remember the excitement
of Christmas morning.
But that they also look back and remember
that they were able to give to somebody who was in need.
(emotional music)
- I may never leave Berry's.
Eight kids just turned into nine.
I love you. (bees buzzing)