This is real life

This American Life is a helluva show. When they are bad, they are still pretty good. When they are good – they can just blow you away.

I’m a lot more susceptible these days, my stoic reserves went away with dad or with parenthood – I’m not really sure. But even allowing for that, the last episode I listened to had me by the throat and (at a minimum) I need to recommend it to you.

It’s called Unconditional Love, and it describes two families who have perhaps the most challenging parental experiences I can conceive of.

They are presented with the daunting question “Can I just give up?”

One does, one doesn’t. Both stories were (at least for me) major shifts in the way I see things.

Listening to these families talk about what people say to them, It is easy to imagine myself being exactly what they describe: clichéd, condescending, and self-congratulatory. “Aren’t I nice for admiring you?”

It's a jolt to the system, but definately worth a listen.