Growing up, I never got to have a fun breakfast with my dad or have a fatherly figure in the stands of my school events. This is not to say that my dad was completely out of my life but after my parents divorced, I lived in Chicago and my dad lived in Indiana. When I was younger, seeing everyone else’s fathers cheering for them in the stands made me sad. Luckily, I was too young to fully process my emotions, so I focused on my sports and was just happy to play the games. When I was little, I would hear other parents whispering their mostly negative opinions about children with divorced parents. Now that I’m older and I understand what happened, I would not change a thing about my parents’ divorce. It was a big part of my life, and helped to shape the person I’ve become, a person I’m proud of.
When my parents divorced, sports took up a large spot in my life. At a young age, I would go outside to play without a worry in the world. It got me out of the house and made little me forget about my parents’ separation. Sports were a healthy escape and taught me about determination, family, and morals. If I hadn’t fully indulged myself in sports, I wouldn’t have learned what true determination and hard work is. This decision helped instill in me good values like putting others before myself, and holding myself accountable for my actions. These lessons were not only relevant to my sports, but also transitioned to my everyday life.
Something else that my parents’ divorce showed me, was how strong my mom is. Watching her run a household alone made me realize that I didn’t need to depend on others. Raising three healthy children and driving them to and from their sports and extracurriculars, would drive some people crazy, but my mom always handled it with grace. As the oldest of my siblings, I had a bit more responsibility, whether I liked it or not. Cooking dinner, waking up my sister and brother for school, and picking them up from school events, were not responsibilities that many other kids my age had. I didn’t know this at the time, but these tasks made into an independent person.
My mom constantly reminded my siblings and I that despite our chaotic household and unique situation, we were a family. Growing up in a divorced family did not make me bitter. The word divorce does not fill me with resent, and instead is synonymous with happy memories. I learned that every family is different and that there’s not just one version of a family. My experience helped shape me into the family- oriented person that I am today. Who knows how my life would have turned out if my parents hadn’t gotten divorced, but I do know that I am content with my life and who I am because of my experiences.Â