Family is what you make it #StreamTeam

No family is perfect.  We’ve all got our quirks and our good days and bad days.  Family is what you make it though.  Everyone’s got at least one colourful family member.  You’ve got to have at least one family member who makes life interesting. Whether you have a black sheep in the family (or perhaps you’re the black sheep in the family), the bottom line is that family is family.

Part of what makes being a family unique is the characters that form that family.  I asked Little One what makes our family unique, and she said “I have an older brother, [insert house guest’s name here] and an older sister [insert former house guest’s name here]”.  Everyone who knows us knows that Little One is an only child.  She has grown up with people at our farm house all the time though.  We’ve had house guests stay with us on the farm ever since she was an infant, so she thinks of them as brothers and sisters, and she calls them brothers and sisters.

It may sound a bit confusing, but it’s kind of like how she calls all adults aunt and uncle, grandma and grandpa.  In the Philippines, it’s a sign of respect to address people who are older than you with the titles “aunt”, “uncle”, “grandma” and “grandpa”, even if they are not blood related.

Family is what you make it.

This month, I was Netflixing a few shows and movies.  Among them was the series, Grace & Frankie. If you haven’t seen Grace & Frankie yet, the star-studded series includes Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston. Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin) are confronted with the news that their husbands of forty years are in love with each other and want to leave their wives and get married to each other.

The series is clever and humorous and the characters are rich in substance.

Initially, I wasn’t sure if I would like the series. I wasn’t sure if the storyline was something I would be interested in. It looked cute and funny, but not something that would likely be a first choice.

I was hooked. After a few episodes, I wanted to know what would happen next and follow the journeys of Frankie, Grace, Sol and Robert. I ended up binge watching the entire series.

Speaking of family dynamics, another show on Netflix that I started watching is Bates Motel.

Still in keeping with the topic of family being what we make it, we went from funny and endearing (Grace & Frankie) to dark and chilling (Bates Motel)!

One of the most frightening movies I have ever watched was Psycho. Just the sound of the name Norman Bates sends shivers up my spine. This said, when I discovered that there was a series on Netflix that was the prequel to the movie, Psycho, I was a bit curious. I was curious to know why Norman Bates became the person he was in Psycho.

In Bates Motel, viewers slowly discover Norman’s dark side and how the relationships in his life contribute to that side of him. His relationship with his mother is so involved that we see how their relationship and certain life events lead up to Norman’s psyche unraveling.

Though dark and scary their minds may be, one can’t help but feel somewhat of an understanding for Norman and Norma (his mother). Their experiences have led them to that dark place inside them. They try to be “normal” and “good”, but situations keep presenting themselves that do not lend in their favour.

Throw in Dylan (Norman’s brother) and the relationship they are trying to forge, and add a few other characters to the mix, and you have a lot of different dynamics and interesting episodes.

Our family is not nearly that interesting (thank goodness!), but interesting enough in a much different way.

I do have to take a break from shows like Bates Motel. Though I enjoy and appreciate the story and the plot and character development, I have to admit that watching something so intense actually exhausts me.

The good thing about Netflix is that there are many titles to keep us entertained as a family. Family shows are a great break for the mind.

Here are a few of Little One’s favourites!

1. Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman
2. Mr. Peabody & Sherman
3. Despicable Me
4. Kung Fu Panda
5. Full House
6. Yours Mine and Ours

What are you Netflixing now?

Disclosure – I am a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam. As a member of this program, I will be providing thoughts and recommendations about movies and shows currently showing on Netflix. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.