THAT Family

In my search for worthy blogs, I stumbled across We Are THAT Family. I have to admit: I cringe when I see "family" in the title of anything. In a blog, "family" usually signals a cloying, saccharine "report from the home front." You know, too-candid photos, vacuous chatter about a spouse's foibles, a hackneyed retelling of the kids' latest escapades, late-breaking news on the household pets.

But as I started sampling the posts and strolling around the site, I realized "This blogger can actually write."

First, what is THAT family?

According to the blogger, THAT family is

The family that always has troubles. Something out of the ordinary is always happening and they are usually followed by disaster....I used to gossip about THAT family. I’d quickly pass judgement on the mother who didn’t watch her kids closely enough or the kids who were overly active. We are THOSE people now.

The blog has a definite message ("We have met the enemy and he is us"). Moreover, as evidenced in the above excerpt, the writing is invested with a sense of acceptance, humility, and humanity ("I'm not passing judgment...").

Second, there's skill and style to the writing (something I prize not only as a reader but as an English major). For example:

Just when I think we've got the hang of this parenting thing, my hubby and I have a weekend where we are reminded that. we. don't.

Or:

I write about creating a home and the loves who make up my life, my spirit as it's inspired, and my soul as it tangles with sin.

Or this, from a family visit to the Goodwill store:

We made our way around the store and my son exclaimed loudly and hurried us to the pre-worn lingerie and underwear department, saying, "I found outfits for 'sexy night!'"

Uh, that would be sixties night.

More than the content, I admire the way the blogger expresses herself. In a blogosphere filled with "space junk," it's a delight to come across spry writing instead of the usual leaden prose.

Third, the blogger has an audience -- every post has stirred a flock of comments. She's clearly touching a nerve. Readers are responding to the fact that this blogger's authentic, intelligent, and insightful, she has a facility for writing, she has something to say and a compelling way to say it.

That said, I do have a few concerns about the site:

• I was confused by the organization. Although the "THAT family" tab explains what "THAT family" is about, some of the other tabs left me scratching my head. For instance, the "editor" tab provides a profile of the blogger (not obvious from the heading). And don't ask me what the difference is between "best of" and "features." So, points taken off on the logical/intuitive scale.
  
• Although some thought obviously went into the visuals and I'm fine with the design (the masthead with its type-written characters, the overall old-fashioned typewriter motif), the look seems more convenient than customized. What's so special about typing? Every blogger is "typing" in material. I would've preferred a stronger connection between graphics and text.

Although some may balk at the Christian undercurrent of the blog (observations such as "There is... a HUGE God who is always there, especially when others aren't" or a post titled "How I Met Jesus"), I had initially feared a lot worse -- an updating of "The Brady Bunch" or a version of "Jon and Kate" that's too cute by half. There's a vital, nay ingenious, quality to the writing. It speaks to people. And how can you not like someone who quips "our family of five has met individual deductibles and it’s still January"?