Growing up, I knew my family was different. My dad was gone a lot between work and doing who knows what with his friends. My mom was always around, though. She always made sure we had dinner on the table and the house was clean.

This is by no means meant to bash my dad. I love him dearly and we have a good relationship now. I also know that I could have had it a lot worse. However, when my dad was at home he wasn't the best father or husband. In his defense, he didn't have the best role model to help set an example for him. My parents have always loved each other but loving someone and being happy with them are two different things.

My parents separated once when I was little. I honestly don't remember a lot about it. They did not actually separate and get a divorce until the end of my eighth-grade year. I won't sit here and tell you that it didn't hurt and yes, I did cry about it. However, I wasn't stupid. I knew that this was not a healthy marriage and that my parents just weren't happy anymore. Deep down, I knew it was for the best.

My parents opted for split custody. Moving back and forth was probably the worst thing to come from the divorce. However, I am a pro at packing a suitcase now, so it did teach me something. Nothing changed while living with my mom other than the fact that we had a smaller living space. My mom took on a second job to provide for us as a single mother. She has done an amazing job and I could never ask for more.

Living with just my dad was totally new for me. I have always been a 'daddy's girl'. We've always bonded over our love of nerdy movies and other common interest we share. This was different, though. Before, I honestly never had to rely on my dad for much. Mom always had it covered. Now, it was his turn. He stepped up. He became the father he needed to be. I can now go to him with any problem and he'll help me through it. We have no secrets and our late night talks have gotten me through a lot. He's a dad now.

This part might sound crazy, so just bear with me. My family is closer than ever since the divorce. We have Sunday night dinners every week because that's when we would switch houses. We even go out of town on some weekends. Being divorced doesn't mean they have to hate each other. My parents consider each other best friends. My mom still takes care of my dad like she always has. Basically, the divorce made us a real family.

For everyone that is close to us, seeing us all together is normal now. My dad is still welcome to all family functions with my mom's family and is still seen as family. Yes, they have been in relationships and sometimes how close they are can cause problems with that. However, if newcomers can't accept my family the way it is, they don't deserve to ever be a part of it. Divorce is hard to go through. If you're going through it right now, just hang in there. Your parents might not be like mine but I can promise that in some way, it gets better. Your life will continue and your parents will always be there, together or not.