Nor´mal Pronunciation: nôr´mal
| a. | ||
| 1. | According to an established norm, rule, or principle; conformed to a type, standard, or regular form; performing the proper functions; not abnormal; regular; natural; analogical. |
We are a normal family. Well, okay. As normal as any other family is, I guess. If you were to look at us passing us on the street, after cussing us out for causing chaos as we try to navigate with 6 adults and 2 children. You would see your average stressed out mom and overworked dad with their three sons- one married with two kids and the other two college age. Nothing out of the ordinary.
And then yesterday I found myself talking to the mother of a gay child. I feel the need to explain why I had to qualify that with “gay child” so you’ll understand. The common denominator of our meeting was our inclusion in the LGBT community.
She made a point of singling me out and told me that she has been watching the television show- “I Am Jazz”. She was wondering if I was watching it. (I am.) She went on to say how it was much better than she thought it would be and she was surprised.
I asked her why.
She said, “Because they seemed just like a normal family.”
Uhm. Okay.
I could feel the intake of breath from the person next to me because he instantly got it.
She did not.
I hesitated and said, “I think shows like Jazz’s are good because they show that families with transgender loved ones are just like any other normal family.”
My very first (and overriding) reaction was to laugh. We are just like a normal family. Or at least as normal as we ever were. Our normal is just a slightly different kind of normal but normal all the same.
Dandelion Fuzz 
Yes we have to normalize diversity. 🙂
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Most definitely! 🙂
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“Normal” is an illusion. No one is normal. Everyone, every family has their stuff to deal with. They appear normal. You appear normal. But, what exactly is normal? Everyone has their own definition of it. White? middle class? two heterosexual parents? kids that excel in school and go on to college, get married and have 2.5 kids? Yep, normal. Yawn…so what? What she meant was “I am Jazz” is not a freak show. Personally, I like the show too and am a fan of Jazz and her family because they’re good people who love their kid and want her to be happy and I think that is obvious. Actually, I don’t think they are “normal” at all. I think they’re extraordinary like you and other parents who support their lgbt kids.
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I agree with that yawn. I look at what is considered to be “normal” and it looks pretty boring to me.
Thank you for being so kind! I’m pretty sure that Jazz’s parents, just like me and so many others, just do what we do because it’s the only way we know how to parent and it’s inconceivable for us to do it any other way. 🙂
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