In Canada, about 40% of marriages end in divorce. My parents got divorced in 2006. Growing up there was only one other person I knew who had divorced parents. It was hard for me sometimes when I wanted someone to talk to because I felt like no one could really truly understand. The same thing goes for adults.

Divorce can be really tough for all parties involved. A lot of time, emotions, fights and money can be involved. The law system can also make the divorce process very exhausting.  Parentecotmy, a book written by Christine Giancarlo, focuses on how poorly the court system handles family law cases through her own experience, as well as other peoples experiences. A huge issue that can sprout from the flawed family law system is parental alienation which is when a parent attempts to sever their child’s relationship with the other parent. Giancarlo hopes to raise more awareness to these issues.

Giancarlo dives deeper on how the flawed family law system does not really care about anything but money. She advocates that kids come first and hopes to raise awareness to try and repair the flawed family law system all together. It can take a long time to heal but here are some ways that kids, teens and parents can get some guidance:

• “I Am A Child Of Divorce” chat room where kids can talk to other kids about divorce
• Programs for children experiencing separation and divorce
• Divorce help books for teens
• Teens guide to separation and divorce
• “How Do I Get Through A Divorce” article for parents
• “How To Heal And Move On After A Divorce” article for parents

The most important thing I am still learning how to do is let go of the past. This is part of my healing. Many people, whether they are children or parents, heal from divorce in many different ways. I hope that this story can help others in their journey to find peace with the past. Talking is a great way to get feelings out, but again if people feel as if they have no one they can talk to, the links provided may help others to gain some insight on how to feel better.

This art piece captures the bad and good things that can come with divorce. Yes, divorce sucks. People go through lots of awful emotions, stress and trauma. However, I wanted to make note of all the positive outcomes that can be seen from divorce. Going through divorce can teach people how to learn from their mistakes, let go of the past and begin to heal and overcome some of the biggest obstacles in life yet. As the saying goes “After every storm, there is a rainbow”.