tell me what you guys think. do I need to talk about what Ive leaned/how Ive changed as a result more?
Around the time I entered the second grade my life was cast into complete turmoil. When my parents sat me and my five year old sister down I could sense that the conversation would not be positive.
Divorce.
Despite not completely comprehending the word, my heart sunk as soon as it escaped my parents' mouths. They were no longer going to be living together, my parents further explained. The simple statement: "we won't be living together anymore," flooded my clearly unprepared 8 year-old mind with an infinite amount of seemingly unsolvable questions. Who would I live with? Was I at fault? Is this permanent? I broke down in a deep sob.
While the tears only lasted a few minutes, this somber mood lasted for months. I said nothing more than what was absolutely necessary to the people I begrudgingly called my parents. On the day my father moved out I hid in my room childishly sulking, fixated on the terrible situation my parents had caused. Little did I realize the negative effect I was having on myself
While lying in my room I heard the laughter of my sister. Hearing this expression of joy that had so abruptly left my life sparked my realization that happiness was still possible in this divisive climate. Despite my parents' divorce remaining intact, I left my room that night without tears in my eyes. Although feelings of unease still ran rampant inside of me, the way I acted and things I said were not like they were before. Rather, I chose to conduct myself in a positive manner. Eventually, I saw that my choice to behave positively improved the well-being of my entire family, fostering a supportive environment in my home that was not there prior to my attitude change. Over time, our collective plight was transformed in part through a sequence of deliberate choices I made. Witnessing the reverberations of my own behavior opened my eyes to the power that my free will wields over the direction of my life.
Now, as I look back upon this experience, I am most proud of the positive path I set myself on through my deliberate attitude change. The positive environment I helped to create illustrates my ability to directly impact myself and those around me through my behavior. At such a vulnerable age, this divorce could have had a permanent and traumatic effect on me, yet this ordeal spurned the realization of my own true power.
This ordeal I had to go through was not something I would wish on my worst enemy. However, it has changed me in a way that is undeniably positive. As a result of my parents' divorce I am now a person that will never simply make a decision based on my immediate and superficial desires. Instead, using my knowledge of the internal power of attitude and choice, I can make decisions that will support the continual development of myself and all those ultimately impacted by my decisions.
