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Welcome back to Rooted&Real, cause what we say here is so real.

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You know, the last episode I did on If You Knew Then, What You Know Now (If I Knew Then: Part 6).

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I didn't realize it's so deep, it helped (people) so much, so I thought the last one would be my

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last one, but I have this one!

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And today it's all about blended families, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

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See, in blended families, which I'm in one, you know, we post birthday photos, marching

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outfits, you know, holiday pics, "We're one big happy family...",

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So the pics say, but nobody posts the '2am conversations', the 'you're not my mum' moments,

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the holidays split in two.

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The truth is, it's all of it.

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It's the good, it's the bad, and the ugly.

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And if you're in one right now, or you grew up in one, this one is for you.

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Because if I knew then, what I know now, I would have understood it sooner.

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So let's start with the good, cause it's real too, right?

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The good is when it works, when extra love shows up, when kids get new siblings and adults

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get second chances, you know?

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And remember, it's not perfect, but the good parts, they're worth holding on to.

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Now, the bad, because we have to be honest here, the bad is the awkwardness.

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The what I said there, 'you're not my real mum' comments, different rules in the same

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house, holidays that feel like a math problem.

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Honestly, nobody prepares you for that, but you just walk into it, hoping love will figure

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it out.

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And sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't, at least not right away.

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And then there's the ugly, the part that you don't post, resentment, favouritism, kids

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stuck in the middle of adult problems they didn't cause, silence at the dinner table

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that's even louder than words.

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It's ugly because it hurts people you love.

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And if I knew then what I know now, honestly, I would have spoken up sooner or listened

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better, or both.

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So if you're in a blended family right now, I see you, I feel you.

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It's not easy.

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Some days it feels like you're building a bridge while walking on it, but the good,

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the bad, and the ugly, all of it is part of your story.

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And no, you're not failing, you're learning, you're loving, you're trying.

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And if I knew then what I know now, I would have given myself more grace.

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So dear, give yourself some too, you're doing better than you think.

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Thank you...