When I first saw the show Jon & Kate Plus 8, Bakri was really young. I never even knew when the original shows aired. Occasionally I would catch a few shows on a Saturday here and there. And, the few times I saw the show, I enjoyed it. I connected with the family because the sextuplets were around the same age as Bakri. And it was quite a sight to see a family dealing with some of the same issues we were (times 6.) I was encouraged to put Maddux and Bakri in the same room when I saw all 6 of the sextuplets sleeping in cribs all in the same room! And I knew I could get my kids on a schedule to keep sanity in my life, if a mom with 8 could do it! And, sometimes when I would feel sorry for myself (yes, this does happen sometimes) I would think about how easy I have it getting around the city with 2, and now 3 kiddos. How easy is that compared to someone who actually gets out of the house with 8 kids???
But, seeing a marriage fall apart and two parents separate has left me feeling really sad. I, like millions of other people, made it a point to watch the show Monday night. On this episode, Jon & Kate announced that they were “separating” and at the end of the show the words on the screen said papers had been filed that day to dissolve their ten year marriage.
Does that make you feel depressed? It definitely left me feeling heavy-hearted. Obviously, I don’t know these people. They have put themselves out there for the world to see. And, many of us have watched and seen the covers of the gossip magazines. They made a commitment to each other ten years ago before God and their families and now after having 8 children together, they are getting a divorce. I just find it so troubling and heartbreaking.
I feel most sad for the children. We can sit and judge the parents all day long and all give opinions on who seems more difficult to live with. But, at the end of the day, those children are the ones that are going to be most affected by this life-changing decision.