When I was a year and half old, my parents split and got divorced. Despite my family continuously telling me I have the memory of an elephant, there is no possible way for me to remember life when my parents were still together. My first memories of my parents living arrangements were my mom’s big blue house with the swing in the backyard, and my dad living in Elizabethtown about 35 minutes away (an eternity to a toddler) in an apartment complex. I stayed with my mom for the majority of the time and stayed with my dad every other weekend. Mom would pack a bag for me like I was going on a vacation. I knew no other way, so I thought this was normal. I thought all families were like this. Then when I was four years old my mom met my stepdad. Along with my stepdad came my stepbrother. To me, they were just the other people who came to live in our big blue house with the swing in the backyard. It was kind of like having guests. My stepbrother and I played with our neighbors, and I was living a normal childhood.
My stepdad is a very mellow guy. He is quiet most of the time and doesn’t really say much. He has always taken care of me and my mom, and he’s provided us with everything we needed and more. He doesn’t overstep his boundaries, and my dad loves him (which means a lot, because my dad doesn’t like many people). He is the perfect stepdad.
As I got older my dad hated the fact that he would only see my every other weekend, so he moved closer to my where my mom and stepdad lived. Having him living closer to us was awesome. I stayed at his house twice during the week and every other weekend, but since he lived so close I would see him pretty much every weekend anyway. My dad dated other women, but he never really brought them around me. I was his first priority in everything; he always told me, “I love you more than I love the Red Sox.”
My freshman year of high school my dad met his girlfriend. They have been dating for over five years now. She is the nicest woman I have ever met in my life. She would take me places when I couldn’t drive yet, she makes me dinner, she lets me vent. She’s incredible.
Most children of divorce live two separate lives: one life with one parent and another life with the other. Their parents often fight through the child because they hate each other too much to actually interact. However, I have been blessed. I have four awesome parents. The five of us go out to eat together. When I had soccer tournaments, we would all travel together. There’s a pool in my mom’s backyard, so my dad and his girlfriend come over to swim. During snow storms my dad and his girlfriend even walk over to my mom and stepdad’s house. Everyone gets along seamlessly. I love my parents with all of my heart. All four of them. I know how lucky I am, and trust me, I do not take it for granted.
