I’d rather be from a broken home than live in one…
Divorce: a topic that has become a norm in our society. It seems as though at every turn another family has split. You hear the news all the time about divorce rates going up, just another sad thing to plague our world even more, right? But what if I were to tell you that was not the case?
When I was 7, my parents separated. At the time, due to being so young, I couldn’t grasp the concept as to why it happened and above all I was frustrated with myself that I couldn’t do anything about it. However, my mom once looked at me and said, “I was told by someone that I would rather be from a broken home than live in one. That was your father and my’s deciding factor on the situation. We couldn’t allow you guys to grow up like that.” That message rattled something within me. It then started to click that the stereotypes of divorce were all wrong… at least, for my case it was. It took a while to get adjusted to the change and get into a new schedule, but what my parents always emphasized was the love they would have for my brother and I. Despite their differences, their kids were the main priority. And while going back and forth between the two homes and having to get used to some odd things (like seeing your parents date), I ended up realizing how beneficial the decision was for all of us. Not only were my parents happier, but my brother and I now had two loving homes with double the amount of parents to hug. We now have my mom, stepdad, dad, and stepmom – four individuals who would do anything for us. And for that, I thank them, especially my stepparents. It’s amazing to think that once total strangers can love someone else’s kids like they’ve known them for their whole life. Thank you to Lou and Leah, two people who make my parents incredibly happy and also treat my brother and I like their own. I could not imagine my life without either of you.
And to my wonderful three stepsiblings; thank you for giving me the little siblings I never knew I wanted. I now have makeup and clothes to steal (shout out to Heather and Nicole) and someone to tease (thanks Kurt). We’re awkward and loud and goofy and no one would ever know we’ve only known each other for a total of 5 years.
Life is a rollercoaster with unforeseen twists and turns. No one plans for these things to happen; you just have to roll with the punches. I could not be happier with the way everything panned out and the beautiful family I gained from all of it. Because of this I will continue to prove to people that divorce may be a good thing after all.