Imagine being four-years-old and having your parents sit you down and tell you they are getting a divorce.

Then they tell you everything will be OK, and that it won’t be any different except “Mommy and Daddy just won’t live in the same house anymore.” And you think, yeah, OK, they’re right.

Nope. Your life will never be the same after that.

Imagine being nine-years-old and having your mom tell you she is getting remarried. Then your life gets completely flipped upside down AGAIN.

If someone would have told my nine-year-old self that ten years down the road, I was going to be as close with my stepdad and stepsisters as I am now, I would have said you were lying. Let’s be honest, what nine-year-old is thrilled that their mom is getting remarried. I know I definitely was not.

Before my mom got remarried, I was an only child. Thinking back, what a lonely childhood that would have been.

Looking back at my life since then, I could not be more blessed. I cannot even imagine what my life would be like without my family.

When kids are younger, often times having divorced parents is something they think they should be ashamed of, and it’s something they try and hide.

Out of my friend group growing up, I was one of the very few who had divorced parents. Even to this day, when I tell other people my parents are divorced they say, wow I’m sorry.

Having divorced parents is not something you can understand unless it happens to you. And trust me, my life would be nowhere near where it is now if my parents were still together.

I honestly don’t think I would be anywhere near the person I am today if my parents were still together. As crazy, and sad as that sounds.

They always say that dealing with your parent’s divorce forces you to grow up way faster than normal, and damn they weren’t lying.

But looking back on it all, I wouldn’t change anything about my life if I could. I am so proud and shameless of my family. They make me who I am today, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I cannot imagine any family dinner, birthday, Christmas, or movie night without them.