One of the subtle things I really appreciated about the Democratic National Convention was the honest portrayal of the family of Kamala Harris. Her husband’s ex-wife produced the video about Doug Emhoff and she was there at the convention every night with her kids. She and Harris are good friends.

As someone who was part of a blended family, I always hated the phrase “broken family.” My story with Steve didn’t have a “happily ever after,” but the boys and I were never broken. I still consider his mother my mother-in-law and maintain a good relationship with his family.

I also have a civil relationship with Steve’s first wife and family, attending conferences together when they were young and cheering on our grandchildren at soccer games when I’m in town. We all interact as peacefully as family whenever there are gatherings and are warm and kind to each other.

When Steve and I divorced, Nicole and Caleb didn’t cease to be my stepkids. I walked down the aisle and got a mother’s rose, too.

My stepson says he doesn’t have a family tree. He has an orchard, and I love that image. In a world where people judge so easily, it is good to know that different kinds of families bear good fruit. Not just my story but so many different types of families that don’t have a mom and a dad, 2.3 kids and a dog.

One size doesn’t fit all in our world today. And you know what? That’s OK!

I am delighted to see that kind of truly modern family in public, one that understands that sometimes things don’t work out the way you planned, but that doesn’t mean you are broken. It just means you are put together in a different way.