Divorce is a very common thing in today’s society. It is said that fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. These odds are really not in anyone’s favor. Growing up, I never thought that my parents would be the ones to divorce. I thought that my family would beat the odds and divorce would not affect my family. But it did. My parents divorced. It was a very rough patch for my family. But, you know what? Life went on. The divorce did not change me or who I was as a person. Yes, the divorce had a major impact on my life, but it did not and does not define who I am.

I was hurt when my parents divorced. I was devastated that this thing that impacted so many families had become a part of mine. But, after I healed from the hurt, my life went on just the same. I was still my parent’s daughter. I was still a human being with many decisions to make. Having divorced parents does not make me any less of a daughter or any less loved by my mom and dad. This brokenness is not my brokenness. This hurt is no longer my hurt. This ending of one thing is not the end of my own happiness and sense of love.

I still believe in the institution of marriage and the importance of family. God willing, I will get married one day. I will have a family of my own, even if that family is just dogs. My husband and I will have fights and encounter hard times. We will be faced with many obstacles and difficulties. But, my parent’s divorce will not affect my future marriage. It will not define my feelings towards marriage and how I react to every difficulty. If anything, it only encourages me to fight harder for the things and the people that I love. I will strive to beat divorce. I will fight that much harder to overcome any obstacles that we may face. I will love my husband that much more. I will work that much harder to be the 50 percent that beats divorce. I will only be that much stronger.

I don’t wish the heartache of divorce on anyone. Times were hard, but time heals all wounds. You must move on with your life and pray that it will get better. Having divorced parents makes things like holidays, birthdays, and special occasions a little harder. But these events happen anyway. You must make a choice to be happy and make every occasion and every event the best that it can be. You have to choose to move on with your life and make the most of the time that you have with your family. Face the difficulty head on and overcome it. Though I am a daughter of divorced parents, my parent’s divorce does not define me.