Divorce. What do you think of when you hear the word divorce? Maybe the word relates to your family, or a friend’s family. Maybe it does not relate to you at all. People automatically think of divorce in a negative sense. A broken marriage, unnecessary fighting, loss of money, and upset children are just a few of the negative aspects that can come with divorce. Even though divorce brings a plethora of negativity, it may also be for the better in the long-run. The word divorce can spark many different opinions depending on who that opinion is coming from and the personal effects divorce has on that person.

There are many statistics when divorce comes into play, some being misconstrued, others being spot on. I will start off by stating that my parents’ divorce not only made me an overall better person, but it also showed me that I was able to defeat the statistics that are common among children of broken families. My parents’ divorce didn’t destroy me; it strengthened me. Some divorce statistics that I have surpassed: my grades have always been above average as far back as I can remember, and my parents’ divorce did not change that at all. If anything, my grades have gotten better since then. As far as I know, my peers find me pleasant to be around…most of the time, at least. I have not needed any psychological help or therapy since the divorce. I believe I am a pretty normal human being and I did not let divorce get in the way of that.

Divorce has many different effects on different people depending on the situation and the time of the occurrence. From what I remember, all of my friends thought it was pretty cool when I told them that I lived in two houses and got to sleep somewhere else every other weekend. At first, the divorce was hard for my family to get used to, but over the years I have looked at the positive aspects of it. If my parents both tried sticking out the marriage, they would constantly be fighting about everything and anything and, to me, that is a much unhealthier lifestyle than the one I am living in now.

Just like any other family, we had our ups and downs, but we got through them. That is necessary when it comes to showing people that just because my family changed does not mean I changed. Nobody knows the true meaning of divorce until they experience it first-hand. Divorce automatically comes off as negative, but there are ways to make it positive. Not only am I proud of whom I have become over the past several years, but I am also proud of the effort my parents have put into making my life the best it could be. Although they may not still be married, they both still care about my brother and me the same
and that is a bond that can never be broken.

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