Huffington Post’s “Blended Family Friday” series can bring hope to those who have just gone through divorce. Each week, the site features a different family’s story and explains how they have worked to blend their two families together. Huffington Post’s goal is to help families in similar situations find blended family bliss in their own lives.
In the most recent article, 24-year-old Rachel Ryan shares the story of her family, which includes her 2 siblings, mom, dad, stepmom, and stepdad. Her parents separated when she was 12, and both started new relationships shortly after separating. She says the first few years were “very difficult” as she and her siblings tried to make sense of their new living arrangements, and the 2 new adults in their homes and lives. She also talks about how, as a kid, it’s extremely difficult to come to terms with the fact that your mom and dad aren’t going to be together anymore.
The best part of Rachel’s interview is her advice to children struggling to find their place in a blended family. She advises kids to remember that parents are human, and that they just want to be happy, too. A divorce is never the child’s fault; it is two humans that tried to make it work, but just could no longer be happy together, for whatever reason. Rachel says she and her siblings spent years hating their stepparents and being angry at their parents for getting divorced, and that it’s not worth it.
Rachel writes, “We are all human, make mistakes, change our minds and change our life goals. My parents – and your parents- just went in different directions with their lives somewhere down the line. Then they remarried and formed a blended family. Don’t hate your parents for that- I did that for too many years and it’s not worth it. Try to be happy that they have found happiness in their lives.”
The “Blended Family Friday” stories are ultimately uplifting. The major takeaway from these articles is: yes, change is hard, and it may take a LONG time for everyone to adjust and figure it out, but a big, happy, blended family IS possible, and it can be in your future, too.
Read the original article here.