I never expected my life to be so severely altered so early. I was just an innocent eleven years old when my parents sat my brother and I down between rounds of Guitar Hero to tell us that they think it is best for them to separate. Instantly I thought it was a joke, some kind of ploy to scare us when a joyful activity was really just around the corner to lighten our spirits. But no comforting words came. No asterisk next to my mother’s statement to remind us it was a joke. Just silence. My cheeks were soaked by the time I realized my eyes were pouring rivers of tears. My body understood what my mind did not accept. Whenever life got hard before, I always had my family to turn to, but now that security was swept from under my feet. My only aspiration was the possibility of my parents making amends, but even I knew that was childish ignorance. The uncertainty of my future haunted me. I was afraid. Eventually, after several months of denial and depression swings I reached acceptance. I came to the realization that no matter how dreadful and down life may get, life will go on. Enlightened by this principle, I now see every boundary in life as a challenge to overcome.
Years later, I now understand that my parents’ divorce might have been the best thing for me. Bouncing from home to home on a weekly basis at such a young age forced me to grow up quickly. I now knew my parents would not always be there for me, teaching me the crucial lessons of self-sufficiency and independence. They would no longer be there to set my schedule and make sure I had everything I needed; I had to carve my own path. The epiphany I reached now guides me through life’s many strides. Each new obstacle that life throws at me, I am ready to face it and conquer it. Admittedly, I did not always succeed; rather I failed often. However, I knew that whatever consequences befell me would not be cleaned up by my parents. Therefore, I was forced to understand my mistakes and