Thanks to Disney movies, I grew up mesmerized by all the fairytale magic and happily ever afters. I dreamed of the day a knight would whisk me away to a world full of charm, beauty, and unbreakable love. Evil was always defeated and the prince inevitably wound up with the princess. That's just how it went. These expectations were rudely interrupted by the time I turned 18, the first time in my life when evil had actually won.
As I grew older, I began to see this evil creeping in during silent dinners and bickering car rides. Tension and tears replaced all the hugs and laughter in our household. Slowly but surely, my fantasy of everlasting love began to disappear, and I no longer believed.
In January 2014, my parents announced their separation. Saying goodbye to my childhood home was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, and unless you've been there, you don't really know how bad it stings to drive past the house where you used to smother the entire driveway in sidewalk chalk and blow bubbles from your second story window. No more Friday pizza/movie nights with all four of us smushed together on a tiny love seat, no more group trips to the lake across the street on cool summer evenings, and no more signing "The Klocinskis" on every single one of our Christmas cards again. All the traditions and stability our family has built were now shattered. And because those are dead, a sliver of myself is, too.
Even though that part of me is now gone, I can't help but thank my parents because in its place, I have gained something much more valuable: a drive to overcome normalcy, a longing to give and receive whole heartedly from someone else, a love for love again. This experience made me want to fight like hell for MY happily ever after because they do exist. I see it in every enchanting "I do", in every expeditious kiss exchanged at a red light, in every elder couple gazing across the dinner table as if it were their very first date. The point being, even if your parents' marriage didn't work out, yours still has a shot. Don't be influenced by all the evils lurking about. Instead, embrace them with all you've got and hold on to your significant other for dear life. I swear to you it's possible to come out untouched with a bond stronger than before. I see it everyday.
That fantasy still exists, and one day, you'll meet someone who will exceed your Disney movie expectations. Just you wait.
