Undergraduate / 'The trauma of my parents splitting up' - admission challenge essay help [7]

Hi, I need some help with this "essay". I tend to write as if i were talking(casually). Any critiques or help or just general butt whooping would be really appreciated.

Explain how you responded to a significant challenge that you have encountered and what you learned in the process. (maximum 200 words)
My parents split up on august 13th, 2010. After the initial trauma subsided I discovered two things. One being that my parents are just people like me, and two, that life is what you make it. In a way, I'm almost thankful that my parents divorced because it has forced me to form much better connections with them as individuals. When they were together, I never really appreciated their company. Now, I look forward to having dinner with my mom, if not just to hear about her week. My parents' divorce has really allowed me to learn about them and analyze them as people and not just as parents. I have discovered more about who they are in these past two years than I had in the seventeen years prior to their divorce. Even though it began with sorrow, this experience has taught me how to be a happier more positive person.