You Haven't Heard Dysfunction Yet

                                       Picture of my dad and I on vacation when I was little.

To me the chapter on families was one that was most relatable to me. I have a very unusual family situation. Think of every crazy dysfunctional family problem and I've probably been through it. We talked in class about just how much divorce can affect every person involved, and I think that is completely accurate. Divorce rips families apart and causes a lot of tension between the parents. It's hard to watch two people who you grew up watching kiss, hug and talk together everyday suddenly resort to yelling and fighting. In a kid's mind, they immediately think that it has to be something that they did wrong and that it is their fault. I was looking at articles and came across one article that I really liked because it focused on how the family was effected and, after all, this chapter is about families.
 I was only 10 and in fourth grade when my parents got divorced. Like every kid, I was extremely confused. I could not wrap my head around divorce and what it truly meant. As it turns out, my dad had been having an affair with a family friend for about a year before my parents finally decided to separate permanently. Soon after my parents began the typical arguing and resentment. I was young enough to where I was mostly oblivious to what was going on, but I know that my older brother, Mitch, had a really hard time. I remember one time we were both waiting in the car after being picked up to go to our dads. It was taking a long time so he finally went to see what was taking so long, and he walked in on my parents arguing with each other and he ran away crying and upset. Mitch was in 6th grade when this was all happening so he knew more about the situation than I did, which was not necessarily a good thing.
My parents soon got remarried, my dad to the woman he left my mom for and my mom found a guy through mutual friends. My step mom had two kids of her own and my step dad had one too, creating my new blended family. This caused a lot of problems too  because I was suddenly forced to make connections and have relationships  with a whole group of new people. I think that was one of the biggest challenges when my parents got remarried.
We skipped over the idea of family abuse during our class discussion, but I read that part in the book. This is something that really interests me, and I turned to this website for more useful information on the topic of violence against women. Unfortunately, my step dad began physically abusing my mom during their relationship leading to yet another divorce. Although this time it was somewhat easier, losing the relationship with my step dad and step brother was just as hard as building it in the first place. I grew extremely close to my step dad, and it was hard knowing the circumstances of the divorce. As a result, I know have a blended family and a one-parent family, as well.