Divorce does not always have to be a bad thing. While it can be very upsetting and challenging, attitude can make a big difference. When I was in seventh grade, my parents separated, and my mom moved out shortly afterwards.
At first it was hard to bear, but then I grew used to my living situation. Now I cannot imagine living any other way.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was about to go over to a friend’s house when my parents sat my siblings and me down at the kitchen table. They seemed uncomfortable, and I knew something wasn’t right, but I tried to stay optimistic. Hesitantly, they announced that they were getting a divorce and that at the end of the school year, my mom would move out. I was shocked; I hadn’t seen it coming. Sure, they fought sometimes, but I knew most parents fought one time or another.
I managed to keep it together downstairs. But when I was back in my room the tears came like a flood. I called my friend immediately, but I was crying too hard to even get the words out.
The next day at school, I told more of my friends. They were all very supportive, and by the end of the day, I was already feeling much better. The rest of the school year is sort of a blur to me—I don’t remember much. As soon as school ended, however, my mom moved out.
All of a sudden, the situation became very real.
I had two houses, two rooms and two separate families.
While the changes connected to coping with divorce were difficult to get used to, I soon realized my parents helped make the transition as easy as possible for me and my siblings.
For one thing, my mom’s job forced her to travel a lot so I was already somewhat used to not being with both parents all the time. For at least the past year, my mom had been out of town for roughly half of the week. It didn’t feel unnatural not to be with both of my parents for the entire week.
Second, transitioning between the two houses was more of a challenge, but fortunately, my mom moved only two blocks down the street from my dad, so it was fairly manageable.
Third, my parents have maintained a very civil relationship to this day, so they’re not like some divorced couples that refuse to even speak to each other.
The more I looked at my situation from a larger perspective, the more I realized I had it good compared to many others.
Overall, I have come out with a relatively positive outlook on my experience. While coping with divorce and the changes that came with it were hard to become accustomed to, I have found that things can always turn out all right. I have been lucky enough to maintain good relationships with both parents, and their maintaining a good relationship with each other made some of the transition easier on my siblings and me. In the end, I have learned that in situations such as this, I could dwell on how life could be or accept how it is and make the best of the situation.
