Divorce & Concluding thoughts

            It’s amazing how time moves. Every week, I learned so many new things about marriages and families. Each week I was humbled. I am thoroughly grateful for my professor, Brother Williams, for putting in the effort to share his knowledge and experience with us as a class.

For this last week, we did not have much time to discuss our last subject, divorce. It’s a heavy subject for many who have been through it in their lives. I myself could not understand how much a divorce can really affect someone, but I do have friends who have been through it themselves. Each one has had a different experience. I’ve listened to some stories about how a divorce has negatively impacted the lives of some of my friends. Other times, I have heard how it has been a blessing.

While in class, what stood out to me the most was how hard it is for some parents to remarry. Not only that, but having the children accept the new adult into their life is also a hard task. While listening, I learned one thing about how a new father or mother can integrate themselves with the new family, to be the cool aunt or uncle.

To further explain his point, he showed us a music video by Brad Paisley – He didn’t have to be. It was a tear jerking music video that tells the story of a young boy who had no father, and his mother would be taken out on dates. He sits alone on the stairs as he watches his mother leave with a new man of interest. Although, one man in particular notices the young boy and takes him along in the date with his mother. This here was the life changing moment of Brad. The video then continues to show how the young boys life begins to change by having a father figure in his life. The joy on his face is visible. Time passes by and the young boy now a man is married. His wife then gives birth to their newborn child.

 As I watched the video, it almost made me tear up. It was a heartfelt song of how a young boy was grateful for the man that entered his life, who then became his father. Though, I might not fully understand the feeling of living with a single parent, the video was a great example of helping me understand just a little bit of that life.

This is the reason I am grateful for this class. It has taught me much about certain lifestyles and perspectives that I did not know about before. It has expanded my line of sight of what life is. I used to think that I had some knowledge with family and marriage from previous studies on my own. I realized that I was far from understanding relationships in general.

To be able to help others, it begins with my education, and that is where I am at today, striving to learn what it takes to become a marriage and family therapist. There have been many experiences that have led me to where I am at today. I am grateful for them all. One day, I will achieve my dream of becoming a therapist. When that day comes, my hope is for others to understand that paradise and happiness begins within the family.