Before diving into A Keller Christmas Vacation, take a look at my previous posts in my Hallmark and Family Dynamics series, in which I explore what these films reveal about family relationships. The first looked at parental expectations as well as self-sabotage in relationships, the second addressed our continued seeking of parental approval, and the third offered a look at how heartbreak can send us into despair. Hallmark's A Keller Christmas Vacation is a case study in family stress dynamics.
The first year we lived in the US, we were in a gated community with other young families. Everything felt new and exciting - an adventure - just what we wanted. We arrived in the summer, and I remember loving the sun, constantly being at the pool, and spending endless hours with Freddie and the other young families in the neighborhood.
In the ABC7 Originals documentary "A Mother's Hope," reporter Tara Campbell spends a year with three mothers from three cities - San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento - fighting to save their children's lives. Their children are trapped in a cycle of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Every day, these mothers confront an impossible system, relentless setbacks, and their deepest fears, refusing to give up hope.