My parents decided to get a divorce roughly eight years ago.

Throughout my years of adolescence and into adulthood, I have been able to reflect on how I have grown as a person since their separation.

I have also been able to note the valuable lessons I have learned from such a difficult time in my life, and now I would like to share them with all of you.

1. To grow and mature in difficult situations

Following my parents divorce, I developed a very mature outlook on life.

At first, many of the conflicts taking place as my home was divided, were extremely over my ten-year-old head. But I was an intuitive kid, and I quickly began to understand the harsh realities of my parents' separation.

I was forced to deal with issues that were far more advanced than my years, and I had to grow up faster than many other children my age. Because I had to deal with adult conflicts at such a young age, it has led me to be very mature and insightful.

2. To adapt quickly to change

My parents' separation was extremely abrupt and I had absolutely no time to prepare for the worst news I could have heard as a young child.

Therefore, I am able to easily adapt to changes in my life because I endured one hell of a change when my father moved out. I had to adjust to a new routine, a second house, and an entirely different way of life.

I am able to adapt to difficult situations more readily, after having been forced to adapt to an entirely new change of pace, eight years ago.

3. To not sweat the small things in life

My parents' divorce was a huge weight to bare at the time, but as the years went on I have learned to cope and I have realized that most everything has turned out alright.

When something minor upsets me or throws me for a loop, I am able to reflect on the obstacles I have overcome, and then tell myself that everything is going to be okay.

I remind myself that I have handled worse, and therefore I am prepared to mitigate any challenge that comes my way.

4. To value trust

I find it extremely hard to trust other people.

But in my opinion, this is not always a bad thing. After the events that prompted my parents' divorce, I know I have become a more private person and I tend to build up walls rather than trust anyone who comes into my life.

In many instances, I am more of a listener rather than a talker because it takes awhile for me to feel comfortable and completely open up to others. Trust is a quality I value immensely, therefore I only fully trust other people when they have proven to me that I can depend on them no matter what the circumstance is. There are people in my life that have proven to me that the will never let me down, and to those few people, I owe a huge thank you.

5.To be grateful

Both of my parents have still continued to be apart of my life after their divorce, and for that I am grateful.

I am also extremely thankful for my mother and all she has done for me since I have lived with her primarily for the past eight years.

I owe her a lot of credit for always staying so strong, and for the amazing amount of positivity, she's exuded even through troublesome times. She has always tried to do what is best for my brother and I, even when it meant sacrificing what may have been best for her.

My parents' divorce in general has shown me that it “could always be worse”, so for that reason, I am very appreciative for what I have.

6. To forgive

Mistakes were made and promises were broken but overtime, I have healed and I have learned to move on.

I love my family with all my heart and I am thankful for them all no matter what has happened in the past. While I could pessimistically reflect on my childhood and remain angry, or wish that my parents had never split, instead I choose to forgive. From this divorce I have learned the importance of forgiveness.

While many events in life are hard to forget, I believe there is always room to forgive.

Overall, my parents divorce has shaped me into the person I am today and the last eight years have taught me some of the most valuable lessons I may ever learn. While issues of the past still make me angry or upset from time to time, I choose to reflect on the positives that have resulted from dealing with such a challenge.

To anyone reading this who is either a child of divorce, or struggling with any other difficulty, just try your best to keep in mind that not everything in life is easy, but there are always lessons to be learned from the challenges we have overcome.