Are you normal?

While watching one of my favorite shows the other night 'Jon & Kate plus 8', I was in tears toward the end. It was the episode called 'Labor Day' where they go back to visit the hospital where the sextuplets were born. They went into the room where the babies were delivered, then they walked through the NICU. At the end, Kate remembered back to when their lives were 'normal'. That's what triggered this post. I have been thinking a lot about this since watching that show.

The reason this episode was so emotional for me is because it hit so close to home. Sometimes it's hard to put into words, especially when speaking with people who have 'never been there'. But higher order multiples completely changes your life. From the pregnancy.... all the way through to today. It sounds terrible to say that you mourn the life you used to have - when things were 'normal'. However, that is exactly how it feels sometimes. Of course I would never give up one of my girls and if given the opportunity now, I would never change a thing. We are so blessed and I thank God every single day for the awesome gift he has granted us with our four beautiful daughters.

But that brings the question: What is normal? Is it normal to have so many children? Including three-at-once? Or for Jon & Kate, six-at-once? At what point does it become 'abnormal'? Or what about people who never want children, is that normal? Or those that want them so badly, but cannot have them? How about parents with an only child? Or step children? Foster children? Children with special needs?

That makes me think about marriage also - at this point, with the divorce rate as it is... Is it normal to be divorced? Or married 20+ years? How about being married multiple times? Some are on their third, fourth, fifth marriages. Normal to get married young to your first love, or wait and not marry until you are older and 'more mature'?

Another place where the question of 'What is normal?' becomes so apparent is with students in school. As you know, I work with a child with 'special needs'. Certain behaviors are considered normal for him and a successful day could be if he didn't hurt anyone or himself. However, for the regular education students, there is a whole other set of expectations. So, which child is normal? Sometimes I see students all around me, who are considered 'normal', but are acting worse than the child I work with. Is that normal?

How about wealthy people? Their normal is very different than ours. They think nothing of hopping into a private jet, flying to Europe, staying in the best hotels, eating at the fanciest restaurants, etc. In the town we live, it is 'normal' to have a housekeeper/maid/cleaning person. Most people that we meet assume that everyone lives with this luxury. So does that make us abnormal?

This is really just a random post of thoughts that have been going through my mind the last few days. Of course, these are rhetorical questions, but I would love to hear your thoughts. Are you normal??