For all the This Is Us fans, this blog is for you. For those who are not familiar with the show, it is an American television drama series that revolves around an everyday family who has three children, two are twins. Episodes show flashbacks from the past (1980-1998) to present day (2016-2018). The show is based off of Jack and Rebecca Pearson and their three children (Kevin, Kate, and Randall). We know from the beginning that Jack died when the children were 17 years old. The show begins with the children as adults at age 36. They are all in different stages of their lives. Kevin is struggling as an actor. Kate struggles with weight issues, self-image, and love. Randall is a successful business man and family man who struggles with perfection and joy. Rebecca, after losing her husband, remarries her past husband’s best friend. The Pearson family is no different than our lives. We struggle with loss, love, self-image, family, children, and careers. We laugh together, cry together, love one another, and, most of all, support each other. This series is us — in every way!
We can learn from the Pearson family on how to strengthen our love for one another, how to support each other in all things, and how to laugh together in the good times. The characters all have different personalities who make life work together. Their lives are as mundane as ours. The characters are real and relevant for all of us. Rebecca Pearson tries to be the best mother and wife she can be, and, yet, she was not perfect in any way. Jack Pearson was perceived as the perfect father, but, yet, he fell back to his old ways and became an recurring alcoholic. Kevin was known as the high school football star, and then became a famous actor. He quit his job out of frustration and became an alcoholic and drug addict. Kate struggles with her weight and self-image so much so that it almost ruined meeting the love of her life. Randall, from the outside, looked like he had the perfect life — great career, wife, children, and a nice home. He quit his job after having a nervous breakdown and found himself finding his purpose again.
As seen in This Is Us, we relate to many of these characters’ insecurities. We are born into a family who is imperfect which causes us to have insecurities. Some of the insecurities follow us into adulthood. Most of us lived with loving parents who cared for us and provided for our needs. And, yet, something was still missing. Maybe a sibling was shown more love than you. Maybe a parent was hard on you in an area you struggled in. Maybe a parent reacted to a situation badly that may have scarred you for life. Maybe a spoken word hurt you deeply, and you never recovered from that moment. As a result of these insecurities, we struggle with finding purpose in our lives. We struggle with our appearance. We struggle with loving others and receiving love. The list could go on and on.
Just like this series, the characters get back up and dust themselves off. Life does not end with that moment. In the midst of their tears and chaos, they find the strength to move forward. At the end of the road, they find joy again where there once was sorrow. You can do the same. If you do not have a family who supports you, you are not alone. God is always there to pick you up and dust you off to start again. He will never leave you defeated and alone. He will carry you through your journey and heal you from your wounds. God will cry with you and will hold you until you stand on your own. He will create a support system for you during a time of difficulty. Our lives may feel like a roller coaster at times (ups and downs), but God will overwhelm us with His peace, if we only come to Him for help.
Faith.Hope.Love 