My friends, are you fed up, like me, with the lame blaring of media in regards to crummy fathers or absent fathers? Have you grown quite tired of seeing dysfunctional families portrayed as the norm in your media?

Really, why is it that so many of the families portrayed in books and movies are such a mess? Is it because families wherein mom and dad, and kids too, are trying hard to hold things together are boring?

Harry Potter’s parents are dead and his aunt and uncle are horrible. Luke Skywalker’s dad became a Sith Lord. Katniss’ mom was a vegetable for a while.

Then there are the ‘unscripted’ TV ‘reality (ha!)’ programs. Sixteen and pregnant. That one where moms trade families. The Dog Whisperer (okay, maybe not).

The litany of media that portrays families as dysfunctional and broken and populated by selfish jerks is long and irritating, because I don’t think it’s fair. I think there are far more families that are trying hard to stay together and be a loving family than there are these other types.

So I ask you to join me in celebrating these families and stories here on this blog post. Yes, Father’s Day is around the corner, so I would love a focus on fathers, but I’ll take anything that depicts families who really mean it. They don’t have to be perfect, nor do they have to be problem-free. The beauty and grace of these striving and happy families come about because of the way they face trials and tribulations.

Please post videos, links and stories in the comments section. Come back lots to see what others have shared. And pass this post along so that as many people as possible know about it. It’s possible that seeing one of the stories YOU share will help a family, a mother, or a father who is going through a tough time.

Here’s mine:

A Father Indeed