I watched producer, Garry Marshall’s, Mother’s Day last night with my stepdaughter, and learned this morning of his unfortunate passing yesterday. Thanks to Mr. Marshall, for two, fun-filled hours we sat back and giggled as we watched superstars like Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Julia Roberts stumble over the normal issues that arise with most blended families. Garry Marshall tackled it all: interfaith marriage, divorce, remarriage, gay marriage, step parenting and adoption. The movie was epic, and a hilarious reminder of where our blended family has traveled over the past several years. It gave us a chance to look at the behaviors of others on a screen, while considering our own real-life behaviors. As they say, we’ve come a long way, baby.

But, this post isn’t a movie review. It is a reminder that though blended families are just like any other family (dare I say, maybe better??!!), we do have to work just a tad bit harder to make sure that our children are raised in supportive, loving environments.