I Hate This Is Us

About a year and a half ago I saw previews for a new show. They looked interesting and it looked to be well done. I was intrigued. I missed the night of the premier, and before I even had a chance to look it up and watch it, I had gotten handfuls of messages from people saying I HAD to watch this show. They told me it was life changing and so well done and just real. All things I appreciate, don’t get me wrong. But after one episode — really? People thought I could really relate because apparently a couple’s baby dies and then they adopt another one — who just so happens to be black. All of these things are true in my life.

But the more people told me I should watch it, the less I wanted to. Maybe that is just pure stubbornness on my part.

As time went on the buzz settled down, but being as popular of a TV show as it is, people talk about it often. I’ve never watched one minute of one episode, but here is what I can tell you: it is on Tuesday nights. If it is ever canceled for something as minuscule as a national emergency, there will be revolution and chaos. You see, on Tuesdays my Facebook feed starts to fill with statuses like “Can’t wait for tonight. I’ve got the tissues ready” and “What family??! Tonight is This Is Us time.” And don’t even try to be on Facebook after 9pm on Tuesday nights if you don’t watch This Is Us. Unless you like to see people talking about crying — then you would want to be on there, because apparently This Is Us makes people cry A LOT. Wednesdays my feed is full of people talking about how much they cried and how sad they are and how good the show is, but in my mind those things don’t go together. So when someone tells me that I just HAVE TO WATCH This Is Us, it just.doesn’t.sound.very.good.to.me. I don’t want to cry week after week.

You see, my life is This Is Us.

Not in the sense that I watch the show and love it so much and it is my life. No, I mean I don’t watch the show because I live a real version of the show. My baby did die after birth, and I have adopted two children from foster care (which is apparently another subject the show touches on and another reason why I should watch it, I am told). One of our adopted children is black, so we are a transracial family. My girls have struggles from their early lives that they have to deal with on a daily basis and maybe always will have to deal with. My oldest had grieving parents when his brother died and then went through many kids coming and going in our home as we were a foster family. None of this even touches upon the real life issues that everyone has — the fighting with your spouse, the yelling at your kids and then feeling like crap because you yelled at your kids, the grocery store trips again and again and again, the never-ending laundry.

My life feels like an intense drama show, so when I sit down to zone out and relax, I do not need to see something playing out that mirrors the hard I deal with every day.

Like I said, I have never watched one minute of the show, so I truly cannot judge it. I’m sure it is as wonderful as everyone says it is, and who knows, maybe in a year or two I will be back here writing a post about how much I love This Is Us. But for now, I’ll be watching something lighthearted and full of laughter. And staying off Facebook on Tuesday nights.