Getting real with the O'Neals

My most cherished time of day is the evening. After the children are in bed my wife and I get to just hang out and do whatever we want, uninterrupted by children. Often this involves catching up on our television shows.

We recently discovered a new show on ABC called "The Real O'Neals." It's about an Irish-Catholic family who lives in Chicago. The mother is the most involved and passionate member of the family when it comes to their religion and she is always monitoring the words and behaviors of her husband, two sons, and daughter to make sure they are in line with what she feels God desires for their family.

The catch is, however, that what she is really interested in is the approval of other people, most notably the other women in her church. She uses the guise of God's will to manipulate her family into doing what she believes is the most acceptable way to live. This is an issue to which I feel we can all relate on some level, especially in a small community.

By the way, even though it certainly doesn't sound like it up to this point, "The Real O'Neals" is a comedy. Boy howdy, is it a comedy. I haven't witnessed a show this hilarious in years. You see, I was raised in a devout Christian community of folks and even though I still follow the teachings of Christ I have learned the hard way that not everything is how we perceive it to be. Years ago I would have written this show off as offensive because it pokes fun at a life devoted to God. But now? I embrace it because it's real.

The truth is, this might be the most real show I have ever seen. In the first episode everything falls apart. The parents confess that they are on the brink of divorce, the eldest son reveals he has an eating disorder, their daughter reveals she just purchased a stolen car on Craigslist, and their other son reveals the biggest blow to the mom and their supposed longstanding values of them all - that he is gay.

Only three or four episodes have aired so far, but as you can imagine, the subsequent ones are about how the O'Neal family navigates these new waters having experienced this new level of realism with each other than they ever have previously. They are judged by other members of the church and are also judged by each other for the issues with which each of them "struggle," so to speak.

It might sound like a sad premise, but I promise you, it is hilarious and makes a great show. It has taught me that it's completely OK, if not absolutely necessary, to be authentic with our fellow man because only then do we become wholly free - if we allow ourselves - to love people where they're at.

And that is the clincher with this show. What truly makes it great is the very real love and connection, which still exists underneath the surface between the members of this family, despite their reputation, when their well-being is on the line. This is exemplified in that the mother comes to defend her daughter at a science fair because her exhibit tries to disprove the existence of God, and later she comes to actually give dating advice to her gay son.

I have always been one to appreciate art, whether it be music, writing, a painting, a film, or a television show, and this show has helped me to see all over again the importance of living life authentically.

Whether you follow the teachings of Christ or not, I have come to believe that I will never be able to judge the battle that a member of my fellow man may be fighting and that starts within my own home.

Being a human often turns out messy, and rarely do things turn out the way you envision.

Lord knows I've fought my own battles and I have my own ugly truths which might make some squeamish, but where would I be without love and acceptance? And even though I still consider myself a Christian, what's the harm in taking life a bit less seriously?