Parenthood

            My fiancée and I have recently become addicted to the television show, Parenthood, and while watching, I can’t help but notice many similarities to my own family. The Bravermans and their respective spouses go through the full spectrum of family drama, such as ex-significant-others, teenage rebellion, complications with developing children, marriage, cheating, relationships, break-ups-- the whole nine-yards.

               I identify a lot with Crosby’s character, who finds out he has a son he never knew about, and much of his dynamic is based on falling in love with his son’s mother again and working on being a father. While there is absolutely no chance of ever falling in love with my son’s mother again, I still relate to Crosby’s character due to the undertaking of being a new father, as I did not know about my daughter right away. It is a huge responsibility to learn to be so important to someone you know very little about, and the task of being a father to a child who does not recognize you as such is even more daunting. However, as Crosby is starting to understand, the rewards most certainly outweigh any doubts or challenges.

               The character I most appreciate is Adam Braverman. He is married to Kristina, and they have two children: Haddie (a junior in high school) and Max (whom I suspect is about 10 years old or so). In the beginning of the show, this group of the Braverman bunch find out their son Max has Asperger’s, a high functioning form of autism. My mother, sister, and fiancée have or currently work in the developmentally disabled field. I have been around “special” people almost my whole life, and knowing the many challenges of that (in combination with being the bread-winner for the family and the stresses of work), I completely understand why Adam is so closed off and eventually cracks under the pressure.

               My job is not nearly as taxing as Adam’s (as he is second in command for a shoe company and I am just a blue collar laborer), but I get the stresses that come with every job. I understand needing to feel strong for not just my own immediate family, but for the issues my siblings and parents face as well.