In today’s society, divorce is not an uncommon affair. It is pretty well known that almost 50 percent of today’s marriages end in divorce. My family was no exception. My parents got divorced in 2003 when I was a naïve 6-year-old who was just starting out in first grade.

You know those moments that you remember so vividly, well even though I was only six, this became one of my earliest memories. I got out of school like every other day, walked to the car, but instead of seeing my mom and dad, I only saw my dad. Confused I asked him, “Where is Mommy?” And with a delayed response, he said, “Your mom and I got a divorce,” and in an instant, my heart ruptured.

I remember them fighting while I cried and screamed at the top of my lungs telling them to stop. After the divorce, I always felt like it was my fault. I felt as if I was the reason their marriage shattered. This self-blame led me to be as bratty as a child could be. Filled with rage and anger, I occasionally took it out on my sister, who is eighteen months younger than me. Although my family jokes about it now, I was pretty violent to her. One time she fell to the ground while riding her scooter and I was following her on my bike. Instead of stopping and helping her, I decided to continue on and run over her face resulting in a broken cheek bone. Another incident occurred when I decided to push her out of a window. That also ended in a hospital visit. With this continuous violence, not only was I signed up for sessions with my elementary school counselor, but my mom also signed me up for a few sessions with a professional counselor. The “professional” did not help me much, but my school counselor made an incredible impact on my future well-being.

In all honesty, my parent's divorce has been one of the most gracious divorces I have ever witnessed. Unlike some people, my parents didn’t use us, children, to hurt each other. They agreed that my sister and I shouldn’t have to get the short end of the stick. Therefore, instead of living with one parent essentially the whole year while only seeing the other parent on weekends and holidays, my sister and I got to see each parent equally each and every week. We would stay with our mom on the front half of the week, and we would transition to our dad’s the back of the week.

As much as I hated the divorce as a kid, I have grown to enjoy the benefits that is has had to offer me. I have essentially received two of everything my entire life such as two bedrooms, two TVs, two sets of clothes, and my favorite, two Christmas’s, which always meant double the presents, and to a kid, that is pretty great. Also out of the divorce, I have gained a new brother and two new families. Neither my mom nor my dad ever told us that they wouldn’t be able to pick us up for the week because they always wanted the best for us. Parenting is all about making sacrifices for your children, and although I am not a parent nor do I see myself being one in the near to distant future, when and if I do have kids, I will ensure that they get the best life they can possibly get, and I will continually thank my parents for that. So thank you Mom and Dad for raising Presley and I right, and even when things like the divorce arose, you kept in mind what was best for us, and for that, I will be forever indebted to y’all.