Words Seaside Sue, Publisher & Owner
After another day of deadlines and page layouts, I curled up to watch a new series on Netflix called Big Mistakes. It follows two wildly disorganized siblings who somehow find themselves working for the mob, constantly scrambling to fix problems of their own making. The storyline is outrageous, but the cast is brilliant – and surprisingly relatable. What really caught my attention, though, wasn’t just the siblings: it was their mother. She’s highly-strung, emotional, dramatic and completely convinced she knows exactly what her children should be doing at all times. Watching her on screen, I laughed so hard. It felt so familiar.
As the youngest of three sisters and a brother, I grew up in a very lively and busy household where opinions came quickly and feelings came even faster. Our mom cared deeply and expressed everything strongly, often loudly, but always with heart. There were disagreements, raised voices and moments that felt overwhelming at the time. Yet there was humour, loyalty and a sense that no matter what happened, we were still a family.
Now, as a parent myself with two adult children of my own, I sometimes catch glimpses of that same energy continuing into the next generation. Families aren’t tidy or predictable, and they rarely follow the script we imagine – but we love them nonetheless. Watching Big Mistakes reminded me that the chaos, the strong personalities and even the dramatic moments are often part of what we hope keeps our families close.
As we move through another busy season putting together this issue of Seaside, I’m also reminded that our community works in much the same way. We don’t always agree. We are not always organized, but we show up for each other and that’s all that matters.
These puppies may have already found a family, but there are many animals waiting for their forever homes at www.victoriahumanesociety.com.
Photo Janis Jean
