For as long as I can remember, my parents have been divorced. I have no recollection of my parents being married. Some people may see that as devastating and wrong, but for me I just accept it, and have accepted it for the past 19 years.
Growing up with divorced parents really isn’t as bad as some may think. You get to have two birthday parties, two Christmas mornings, and two of everything exciting in life. If one parent says no, you always have another parent to resort to without them catching on.
As a child though, divorces are very confusing. I remember having to explain to my kindergarten friends that I was not able to hangout this weekend because I had to go to my father’s house who lived a few towns away. I remember having to explain to my friends that my parents weren’t together, and that I lived in a household without my father. I remember having to explain to my friends that I had siblings who had the same mother as me, but a different dad.
Life continued, and I grew older, and divorce became more of a common factor. I had friends who knew exactly what it was like to have to remember to tell both parents about a sport banquet at school, because if you told one and not another, World War III would happen. I had friends who understood the awkward encounters at homecoming, and prom pictures, as both your parents stood away from each other and you had to bounce back and forth entertaining each parent.
But as I got older, I learned to accept that my parents divorcing had nothing to do with myself or my siblings. That simply some people aren’t meant to have a forever and some people are meant to go their separate ways. I see my parent’s divorce as more of a blessing than a sin. A blessing in a way that has taught me a lot about love and life.
Some people may argue that divorced parents have caused them to love differently and I can truly understand that, but having divorced parents has taught you to accept change. You have to adapt to having a life that is outside the social norm. At first it is really hard to accept a life that is different than most, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I learned to accept the past and present and to look forward to the future. My parent’s divorce has caused me to love in a different way, but in a good way. Love as if that person isn’t going to be there tomorrow because feelings change and so do people’s minds.
