Why I'm Glad Little House on the Prairie Is Back

By Jessica Breazeale

There's something about seeing that covered wagon roll across the screen again that just does my heart good. That nostalgia that is like chicken soup when you’re sick. 

Netflix brought back Little House on the Prairie this month, and I'll admit, I skipped it a few times before giving it a watch.  I was skeptical at first because I thought, “we’re so past that in society.” And reboots don't always get it right. But watching the Ingalls family settle into a new season of storytelling, I found myself thinking about what made the original so special in the first place, and why we've been hungry for it ever since. I think know the answer! 

We are deficient in family values and starving to see those on television again! 

It's not that life on the prairie was easy. Pa and Ma faced hardship after hardship like crop failures, sickness, hard winters, harder neighbors. But through it all, they showed up for each other. They worked hard, told the truth, forgave quickly, and put family first, even when it cost them something. That's the part I think we've been missing on our screens lately: not a perfect family, but a faithful one.

We live in a season where so much of what's on TV either mocks family life or ignores it altogether. So when a show comes along that takes faith, hard work, and loving your people seriously, even while wrestling honestly with the harder parts of history, it's worth celebrating. 

I'm looking forward to watching this new generation of the Ingalls family with my own family. Some things really are worth passing down.

What’s the bigger picture? The Ingalls had a dream and believed in it so much they were willing to take the risky move to do hard things to get it. Kindness, respect and support is not a thing of the past. You can see it on television, at least, to be reminded of the good ole days - and maybe be inspired that we can see it again one day if we all work together and try for it. 

Now how long do I have to wait for Season 2?