My Childhood - Original Writing

A big part of how I grew up and became myself was living solely with my dad. I did not always solely live with my dad, my mom was in the picture as well as my younger brother (that is

Growing up in a small rural town in Douglas, Georgia one would think I would have a pretty ordinary, “Mayberry” upbringing, but this is far from true. My life started out simple; my mother and father were married and doing the best they could to raise my siblings and I. Marrying young, however, did present some marital challenges that soon caused the two of them to drift apart. The loving start soon turned into arguments and tussles, which then lead to affairs and separation. During their separation, my mother was shot and killed by her adulterer and my father never fully recovered. I was only 3 years old at the time. Turning to alcohol and later drugs, my father was no longer able to care for my sisters and me, so we were split up. Like most small towns, everyone knows everyone – most knew our tragic beginning and quite naturally predicted our ghastly ending.

The family meeting on January 25th, 2008 was no different. The news this time? My parents were getting divorced. As an eight year old, I did not at that time understand the magnitude of the changes that would be forthcoming. My parents were extremely positive and took us out to lunch after as a way of showing us that everything would be “OK”. My sister and I stayed at a family friend’s house that weekend, indulging on barbeque chicken and corn on the cob, as our parents busied themselves with separating their lives.

It all started out on July-23-2014, when my mother told me she and my father were getting a divorce, and that we were moving from Owatonna, Minnesota to San Diego. I remember that day like it was yesterday, how I felt, how I felt like I would never stop crying, and confused about what was going to happen. I remember hearing what my mother 's voice sounded like I knew something bad happened, that my father got in an accident or died, or that my dog had gotten hit by a car, or someone died. But all my assumptions were incorrect no one died no one got hurt besides me , my mother , and father. I remember as soon as my mother said the word Divorce, I instantly started bursting into tears.

After I heard the news, I was left open in a dark black endless room, confused, cold and angry. All of my 14 years I never saw anything but parents who loved each other. My preconceived mind could not wrap itself around why this divorce was happening. I felt as if my parents made this large decision out of nowhere, no thought behind it. This decision would affect me for the rest of my life. Before, I couldn 't imagine living in two houses lugging everything back and forth, but now I realize that this is not even a small portion of the effects. It’s one thing to live in two houses, but to come to school everyday and have to mask all of the pain that you have inside is another. Learning how to deal with this was going to be a struggle

My life has been and continue to be nothing but a series of amazing and interesting stories, filled with ups and down as any other normal person experience. What is more special about me is the fact that I have been very instrumental in the remarriage process of my parents who were divorced when I was only nine. Five years later when I turn 14 years I realized that I cannot continue to stay in a single parents house whole under the custody of my father and his mother (my grandmother). Because in a traditional African society, a divorced wife is usually sent back home to her biological parents where she belong. Usually children remain home with their father because that is where they belong, unless they are very young like new born within the age of one month old to 5 years old. I may not know nor was I curious enough to understand the reason behind my parents divorced but I do know this that they still love each other during divorce period due to the conversations I had with both during divorce period. I will often go tell my mother sweet things about my father and will vice versa to my mom and eventually to my surprise and credit, my grandmother just informed me one morning that my mother is scheduled to be back home soon. I could not believe what she was saying. I asked what? She said because she and my father have both realized their mistakes, embraces their differences, apologized to each other and realized that the life and the children they had together and the

Shortly after my mother and father met they got married on the fourth of July, my father’s favorite holiday, of 1998. In the new century, on March 31st, 2000, they received me. I don't remember much of my toddler years except the fact that I would never let my daddy brush my hair and I always wanted to cuddle mommy. Once I turned two I started to realize that mommy and daddy didn't actually get along very well. I got jumbled up between them and thrown from house to house, always clinching on to the one I was leaving. I found out that my mother was dating another woman. It was odd to me, I had never seen something like that and I was confused as to why my mom didn't want to be with my dad. They eventually divorced. I didn't really like my mom’s girlfriend at the time, she was like a bully to me; we are okay now, we have fun we are together. Then one day, my mom’s partner started to grow a belly;

Summer had already kicked off and it was a blazing hot July morning. I was with some of my family on an amazing beach vacation to celebrate my graduation. Everything had been going smooth, but you never know with my family.My mom called and demanded to talk to my aunt. She seemed distraught, but I didn’t dare ask why. I pushed it to the back of my mind. I was going to make the best out of my day no matter what it is. I waited patiently to leave for the beach, before I knew it my whole family, excluding myself, was crowded in the kitchen like a can of sardines talking like I dint exist. I had my suspicions that perhaps my parents were breaking up. Although, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to me cause they “separated” frequently.

I have to mature to quickly because my dad was not acting like a dad. He would sleep the day away, and when he would get up, he would just be an ass. I was left with the responsibility of taking care of myself and my one and two year old siblings without any help. I learned how to parent and be an adult. I learned

I was eight years old when my mother and father sat me and my two older brothers down in the living room. My mother was teary eyed and my father was passive as he began to tell us how things would start to change for all of us. “Your mother and I are getting a divorce” I looked around, my older brother was crying and my oldest brother had a look as if he saw it coming all along, I began to smile and even giggle a little. My mother said to me “do you know what this means?” I said no, and that was a lie. My mother told me that her and my father would not be married anymore and we would not all live in the same house and things

A few years before both of my grandpas passed away we moved from Naperville Illinois to Westfield Indiana to be closer to both of my grandparents. I was within 10 minutes from one and 2 hours from the other. Almost every week my dad would go see his parents and there where times when I would go with him and times where I would rather just stay home. Our family went up to my moms parents house only 1 or 2 times a month because they were usually on vacation or we were just busy on the weekend. I wish that my family and I had taken more advantage of the fact that we were closer to the rest of our family after the move.

Devastated, I ran to my room gushing my eyes out. All these emotions going through my head of how my life would be without my parents in the same room or even house. From what I remember it all started about mid-June, the weeks before that were crucial. My parents would always argue over how to deal with a situation between me and my brother, Skyler. They hardly spoke to one another, but when they did they would just start bickering. I remember, one night after dinner they both went into ''their'' room with the door locked yelling at one another. Skyler and I didn’t know what to do, so we went downstairs and tried to figure out what was going to happen. With a scared tone I asked if mom and dad were going to get a divorce?" He answered back '' No, they love each other, they wouldn’t do that to us." That following night, was a school night everything was quiet except for my crying. I couldn’t sleep; all I was thinking about how it's going to affect my family.

I awoke to find myself being tortured by sharp pains forming all across my body, as thoughts of panic rambled through my mind. I anxiously looked around the bare room, illuminated by a single row of light bulbs. My heart began to beat rapidly as I tried to find any object that would spark my remembrance of my location.

After my mother moved in, I became very attached to her. I no longer had to be so mature and worry so much because I finally had an adult who I trusted to do that for me. I remember how when I was sick, she wouldn’t hesitate to look after me. I remember how she always brushed my curly, frizzy hair at night. I remember how she would always read with me late into the night. This was how I bonded with my mother and how she became my best friend, my whole world.

If there was one word to describe me in middle school it was “tomboy.” Although I was in dance class and cheered, I loved playing sports. I enjoyed getting rough and rowdy in the backyard with my brother and being the only girl in the neighborhood that the boys let on their team during pick-up games. However, my girlfriends would often comment, “Emily, you’ll never be cool by playing sports,” and “Beating the boys will never make you popular or get you a boyfriend.” At the time their comments didn’t matter. It was what I enjoyed doing. Then came high school and all of a sudden it was clear I had two options. I could listen to my friends and tried to become one of the cool girls and just cheer, or I could continue to pursue my