If I Had Her Address

You may have seen in the news lately that photographers claim to have caught Jon Gosselin, of Jon & Kate Plus 8, in infidelity. It's been on magazine covers and on entertainment news shows, and Kate was on the Today show yesterday (I heard.....I did not see it) talking about the allegations. I love this show, and ever since I saw the "news" on a magazine in the checkout line the other day I've been thinking about it. I even looked online to see if I could find an email address to write to Jon and/or Kate, because I felt so achingly sad about it all. I couldn't find an address, but if I had, this is what I probably would have written.

Dear Kate,

I am so sad for your family. I am sad for you, of course, that these claims have been made, but my heart breaks for your family as a whole. I do not know the motivation behind you and Jon deciding to make your show, but I am certain that it was with good intentions that you put your family's lives in the public eye. I know that the show has allowed opportunities for your children that you would have otherwise been unable to afford, and I am thrilled for you at that. As a mother, I can fully appreciate the desire to give your children things that you did not have as a child. I am so glad that this show has made this possible for your special family. While circumstances could have made life extremely difficult for you and your children, I think the difficult decision you made to be on television has opened many doors for you all.

I am so sad, though, that your family is being subjected to the horrors of entertainment media. I am so sorry that the mere fact that you are on television has made you all subject to the cruel, probing eyes of photographers. I am heartbroken that this claim - substantiated or not.....true or not - has come out, anad that now your sweet family must deal with this in the public eye. Yes, your lives are lived out on camera, but you are a family. There are children involved. There is a real marriage involved. You are real people, living real lives, and I am so sorry that there are those out there who are willing to forget the humanity of it all in the interest of getting a picture or a story. I am so sad that you and Jon have to deal publicly with troubles that the rest of the world copes with in secrecy. I am also sad that your children must face their friends at school and church with this story flowing through the newswires.

I want you to know that I support you and Jon and what you are doing. While I may not support every decision that you make, I do support you and your family. You are wonderful parents in spite of outrageous circumstances. I cannot imagine the difficulties and stress that life with 8 children provides, but you and Jon have handled it all admirably.

Thank you for sharing your stories with us, and I hope that the benefits of doing so far outweigh the negative impact it likely has on your life. I truly believe that you are doing what you feel is best for your family, and I pray God blesses you for that.

Blessings,
Jessica