Bruce Jenner and his Blended Family

I felt compelled to write my Blog this month on Bruce Jenner, who is recently going through a transgender transition into a woman. Today I saw for the first time like everyone else, Caitlyn Jenner, on the front cover of Vanity Fair. It’s still hard to get my head around after following the Kardashians for so many years. When you watch people’s lives play out on a reality show for the world to see, you have a sense of somehow knowing them. And this whole time no-one knew the painful secret that Bruce Jenner was hiding his entire life. I can’t help but feel so proud of him, for having the courage to honour who he really is. It must have taken extraordinary courage to finally decide to do this. 

Bruce is the ultimate father and stepfather as far as blended families go, he not only has 6 biological children, he also has 4 stepchildren. Most of them are very famous due to the highly successful reality show The Kardashians. Bruce recently came out and shocked everyone, by saying he was transitioning into a woman. This has come as a huge shock to everyone, no more so than his own children and family. 

He recently did an interview with Dianne Sawyer, where she said one of the most profound comments – she said “We are living in a day where things we have never seen before, will seem familiar.” I believe this is so true, the world is changing. 

Bruce started by saying, that he is “changing lives” and “doing good” and “making a difference” he was doing the interview to “help people” The best part about what he is doing, is how much his blended family have supported him, from all his children, biological and step. Not an easy issue to explain to your family, when everyone knows you as the best male “Athlete of the world.” 

Bruce explains it as – This is my cause – maybe this is what I was dealt, and he hopes to deal with this issue with courage and hope. Bruce hopes that people will look at this with an open heart and an open mind. This is after all the world’s most talked about family, and the media has been very good to them, offering them this incredible platform to show their blended family. 

But on the other hand, it has exposed them to very cruel people, who would love nothing better than to see them fall. With Bruce’s transition you can only imagine the ridicule he is facing and will continue to face with him transitioning into a woman. But just as much as the haters he will also have his supporters like me cheering him on, there is a balance to everything in life. 

Luckily for Bruce he has the support of mostly everyone in his blended family as he starts his transition. All of his children have their own lives and are grown, maybe this is why he has been so accepted, maybe if they were younger it wouldn’t of been so easy. And maybe this is why Bruce waited so long to come out and tell the truth and make this decision. Maybe he felt they needed their dad to look and act like a dad, which he has done so brilliantly to all his children. 

The fact Bruce has the support of all his children, I believe, is because he has been such an amazing father, and lived up to all their expectations. He would not have this support at all through this shock announcement if he wasn’t a great dad. This is a true testament to a successful blended family, that they are all behind him through all of this. 

Kayne West told his wife Kim Kardashian, that he can have the most beautiful woman in the world, a beautiful child and a successful career, which he does, but none of it would mean anything if he wasn’t, happy and couldn’t be true to himself. I believe we were put on this earth to be the best version of who we are, and no amount of money or fame can buy that. 

What will the challenge’s be the for Jenner, Kardashian clan down the road?? I am sure there will be many issue’s they are going face, like figuring out how to relate to a male parent, that is now a female parent. Most of the issues that your every day to day blended family has to deal with, is nothing compared to such a high profile person in the blended family going through a transgender transition. 

What is the reality behind the reality?? We always saw the Kardashian and Jenner families have the arguments and issue’s, but underneath there was a strong bond, and they were all fiercely protective of each other, and continue to be. 

Maybe the reality show is just that, their reality!! If that’s the case, then I think they are a great role model for blended families everywhere. Love them or hate them, there is no denying that this is a blended family that is evolving all the time, no more than right now! They continue to support and love each other and at the moment it looks as though with Bruce’s shock announcement to them and to the world, has brought them closer. 

Bruce’s parting words in the Dianne Sawyer interview were – have an open mind and an open heart, excellent advice for not only what he is going through, but all blended families everywhere. 

Angela Vassallo
The Second Wives’ Guide
Always remember – You are Second to None!!