|
When my mother and father divorced, I felt like it was the end of the world. It seemed as if a cold had settled over me, and that there was no such thing as a reliable relationship anymore. But as Ive grown older, Ive actually come to appreciate the breakup.My family went through some growing painsand we all had to re-evaluate ourselves and our family dynamics, butultimately the divorce has served to bring my family closer together than we might have been had my parents not separated. My parents divorced when I was around 11 years old. I never thought Id see my father again. However, he didnt just vanish from sight. He lived in the same neighborhood, and hedseemy brother and mepretty much every weekend. I had to adjust to not seeing my dad every day anymore, which was difficult, but with time things got easier. We would go to a movie or out to dinner on weekends, and I discovered aides of him I never knew before. My father seemed happier, and in return he lavished affection on me and my brother, something hed never really done before. These experiences with my dad encouraged me to start focusing on the positive aspects of the divorce, and the good that cam come from it.As I got older, I found my older brother was quickly becoming my best friend and advisor, something that wouldnt have happened to me had my father still been living at home. My brother helped me when I needed to know how to ask out girls or how to fight, and he even helped me with my calculus homework at night when my mother would be at school. If my dad had been there all the time, I wouldnt have had the same opportunity to really get to know and respect my brother in the same way. | 
