What Family is Normal?

One the first reality shows that documented a famous family was the Osborn's.  This show followed Ozzy Osborn's family for a few years.  I loved this show.  It was a hilarious show.  First, there was Ozzy, the rock star who was hardly understandable but, still to this day can sing his butt off.  His wife Sharon, the funny English women who loved to swear, then there was Jack and Kelly; their two kids.  Jack and Kelly were dealt a very good hand in life and did what the majority of famous kids do.  They both fought addiction and weight problems, but at the same time had a lot of opportunities most kids don't have.  

Many people would say this family was absolutely dysfunctional.  They swore at each other constantly. They were rude and crude and had drug and alcohol problems.  Most dysfunctional families don't get along with each other, but the Osborn's clearly were very close.  They loved each other and wanted to be around each other.  In my eyes this was a crazy and semi dysfunctional family but, the love they had clearly outbid the dysfunction.

Dysfunction is all in the eye of the beholder.  Some children grow up not ever saying a single swear word in their home and some families communicate with a lot of swear words.  Some go to church every weekend and some don't step foot in a church ever.  If you ask each family what is normal they all will have a different answer. 

I feel that real dysfunction is in families were there is abuse and drugs.  When parents are constantly fighting, it isn't good for a child. How things are solved in a family makes all the difference.  If a family has good communication and can solve issues in their family appropriately the dysfunction is pretty minimal.  Just wiping it under the rug and not talking about it makes more problems and usually these problems become pretty deeply rooted.  This can cause a lot of dysfunction.