THE ECHO

by Zoey Jeffries

I’m glad my parents got divorced. When my parents first told my sister and I that they weren’t staying together, we were devastated. And yet years later, it’s one of the best things that has happened to me.

I had known that there was unrest in our household, but when my parents finally announced the news, it still felt like a punch in the gut. The entire world as I knew it was falling apart and everything was changing, and I’ve always hated change. I couldn’t see how there could be a positive in a situation like that. I was heartbroken that life as I knew it was over.

Time kept passing, even if it felt like it didn’t, and I was able to slowly get more used to the idea of two houses and changing custody. My parents put me and my sister in therapy, and I learned that the best medicine was to feel all my emotions and validate them, rather than trying to focus on getting better immediately. Through countless hours of crying and many emotional talks with my parents, I started to heal. The process was slow and many times I wished I could fast forward through life, but it took years to be able to get to a point where I was able to look back with a positive mindset, yet it still happened.

Time helped me heal from the stress and turmoil I once felt, but the most powerful healer was being able to see my parents with a better life. If my parents had stayed together, I never would have met my stepdad, or my dad never would have started at his current job where he met new friends, multiple of which my family has had game nights with. Looking back to when my parents were married, I can now see that no one was truly happy, especially compared to how they are now.

Even though the time after their divorce was rough, my life was ultimately changed for the better. I get to see my parents happier than ever and who they really are when they aren’t working through martial issues. I know divorce was the correct decision for my family, and even though I couldn’t see it then, it shines through my life now.