When people think of family, they think of the traditional: Mom, Dad, and kids under one roof. It has been the norm to think of these families as "perfect." I am not saying that they aren't, but our culture is changing. It is definitely no secret that divorce rates have been climbing in America's society. Some people look at these divorces and say how much of a shame it is, then continue to call it a "broken" family. When my parents got divorced, I considered myself as one of those "broken" families. However, these past couple of years have shown me why my family is just as perfect as all the rest:
You never take advantage of the time you have.
My parents live on opposite sides of the country. Not only that, but I also go to school away from both of them. So, any time I get to see my mom or my dad, the time is never wasted. Any scheduled call is hardly missed or always made up. You almost talk to each of them more than you would if they were in the same spot. So, mom gets more time to nag you about schoolwork, and dad has more time to tell you about his favorite sports team. It is nice to know that if you ever need to just talk, then they are there, no matter what.
Your bond with every member grows stronger.
During a divorce, the bond between siblings can grow stronger, as well. It's a huge change for the whole family, and the siblings always have each other's back. As I said before, you talk to each parent more than you would have, which creates a strong relationship between you and each of them. Being away from a parent not only shows how much you can miss them, but you can also see how much they miss you. You grow closer with them individually which is really nice.
The number of people in your life increases.
If any parent decides to start dating or eventually get remarried, then that just makes your weird family even bigger. Some kids may not be too fond of the idea, but if the significant other truly cares about your mom or dad, then they probably care about you, too. They see how much you mean to your parent and just want to be a part of it. Whether it is your dad's new wife or your mom's boyfriend, it's just a little more love in your life. The bigger, the better.
Everyone is happier.
I feel closer to my family now, because of how the divorce brought everyone a little more happiness. No adult is happy when going through a divorce. It is a stressful process that they have to go through and knowing that it hurts their kids makes it even harder. Ultimately though, after it is all said and done, each parent is much happier. They finally get to be themselves again. Kids usually feel the worst during the divorce process, but it only gets better with time. Kids become happier because, not only do they not have to listen to their parents bicker all the time, but they finally get to see their parents be truly happy.
Every family, divorced or not, is going to have perks and flaws. In no way is any family better than any other. A divorced family is not broken, but it is different. At the end of the day, I know I have people who love me and would do anything for me. My family, along with many others, is not your "traditional" perfect family...and that's ok with me.
