An Open Letter to Jon and Kate Gosselin.

Dear Jon and Kate,

Because having cable television and TLC is a somewhat new luxury for our family, I only recently came to know the Gosselin family.

And quickly fell in love.

What's not to like about watching six adorable little ones, their older siblings and a very real mom and dad.

Don't get me wrong, there have been many a time that I have watched and winced at the sharp tones in the voices between the two of you, however I realize that sometimes we all get inpatient, short and just plain rude to the ones closest to us. Especially our spouse.

I am late to the Jon and Kate bandwagon, but because of this I've only seen re-runs. Old episodes where the family was living paycheck to paycheck, with Jon working all week only to come home and send Kate out the door to do her weekend nursing job. I've seen the episodes where you two seem humbled by generosity and are trying to live as normal lives as possible. And now I've seen the episodes where it seems everything that ever mattered to you both is long gone.

I am very sad.

One of the things that really sucked me into your show was some of their earlier episodes where you've talked about your faith and I can so clearly see that you have your priorities straight.

Praying together before surgeries, Bible verses throughout the house, and even at times, religious apparel.

Monday's season premiere was heartwrenching. The both of you claim to be doing everything for the kids and your reason for even doing the show is to document things for your kids. You do realize that your kids will watch Monday night's show ten years from now and not be impressed, right?

You do realize that it seems awkward, selfish and just plain childish to air a show like that?

I realize that I am not you. I am some viewer seeing only what TLC has aired and what I'm hearing from the outside media. (Or like you call them Kate, the paparazzi) But I am so disheartened by what it seems that tv, fame and fortune seems to have done to your family.

Yes, you have a beautiful home. A beautiful family. (The two of you are looking fabulous yourselves.)

Opportunities to do every thing you could ever want. But anyone can see that what the two of you have together, is crumbling.

Quickly.

If I were your friend and able to sit face to face with you I would ask you about your seemingly diminishing faith. I'd tell you to slow down, sit down and get on the same page again.

If you truly, truly want what is best for those amazing miracles of yours, then you will stop playing immature games and work on figuring things out.

Maybe that means cancelling the show.
Maybe that means life won't be so luxurious.
Maybe that means in the end, your marriage will survive.

Or maybe it doesn't.

Regardless, the draw of your show is that you are a family that is different than the other soap opera tabloid television out there. The two of you still have that opportunity to be different.

Because you were different. But somewhere along the line, between the tapings, the interviews, the book signings and everything else you call your "work", it seems to have gotten lost.

Stop airing your dirty laundry.
Get back to the basics.
Remember where you came from.

And I can almost guarantee in the long run, you'll be happier, healthier and your kids will thank you.

Just some random viewer who cares and likes to think it's about more than just the ratings,
Samara