I belong to a dysfunctional family. My parents were separated since I was six years old. I could still remember vividly the very day how my parents got separated which was 13 years ago. They were shouting at each other. We were young back then. We do not understand them. All that we know is that something's happening bad. When our mother got all her things, we already knew that she shall be away from home. It was really such a sad experience.

My siblings and I are currently living with our father. Despite of the situation, we still get to see our mother during weekends. I remember that as a child, our father brings us to mother's apartment and that he will fetch us the next day. Nowadays, we seldom see our mother during the weekends and I guess that's the reason why she adopted a baby girl.

My friends know that my parents are separated even as a kid. They did not tease me because of the status of our family. They have been very supportive of me and have completely understood our situation. My friends have the common notion that a child that belongs to a broken family usually ends up being with their mother most of the time. Thus, for them, it is odd that we stay with our father most of the time rather than with our mother. I could not blame them for thinking that way especially that it is already in the norm. Likewise, they could not believe that I am part of a broken family since they also have the common notion that a child of a broken family is rebellious. Thus, they are wrong in generalizing. Moreover, they find it quite odd that mother has to adopt a child when she has children of her own. They keep on asking me on how I feel about it and I just said that it is okay with me if mother has adopted or not but I also felt that she does not have to adopt at all.

Meanwhile, the conservatives who do not even know us at all keep on criticizing the broken families. They consider those families as ones living an immoral life. They just kept on blabbering and telling the others that you should not be friends with those that are part of the broken family. Before they speak ill of others, why don't they look at themselves first.

The time when my parents got separated has been a biggest storm in my life. After the early years of their separation, I have become an introvert. I was not the cheerful kid that I used to be. I have less interaction with my friends and I would rather just spend time watching television or just lock myself in the room. Likewise, I have not been close to any of my parents and to my siblings as well. It was really such a traumatic experience for me.

After the separation of my parents, father had a second family. He had two kids with his second wife, one girl and one boy. They were already separated 3 years ago. That was the time when father and mother got along well together. Actually, they are already living in Negros right now. Of course, I myself felt bad of the situation since Issa and Armand has to experience the situation that we ourselves have experienced.

As in the norms of the conservative society, they see the illegitimate children, children like Issa and Armand as the others would perceive, as a children of sin. This is so because they are born out of wedlock. However, that is not my perception. I love them very much and that I do not call them illegitimate children. They are my brothers and sisters. My blood also runs through their veins.

When I was in grade school, I used to have petty fights with my brother and sister. We always shout at each other and get to the point of hurting each other physically. As we have grown up, we have become more mature. We had less fights and quarrels nowadays. I have realized that we must not be fighting each other over small things. Likewise, we must unite ourselves and be bonded closer. I find it odd that even when I sometimes get angry at my younger sister, there are times that when someone picks on her, I myself would like to face that person and tell not to pick on my sister. I guess that we have too much cariño brutal on our part.

After a several years, I have realized that the present situation is better than the past. I realized that it is better for them to separate rather than to continue a relationship full of hell. I have become a better person and looked things in a different way. Instead of starting a rebellion against my parents, I have started revolutionizing myself years ago. I became more responsible. I have not let the situation affect my studies. I am doing this not because of my parents alone but also for myself, for my future. If I let myself get affected badly, then I am just worsening the situation. Of course, only a fool will do such thing.

When I was in fourth year high school, we had a retreat. Upon returning from the three days of personal journey with the Lord, I have found out that my parents were already talking with each other. I was surprised upon seeing them for when mother comes to visit, father locks himself up in his room and waits for mother to go. This event brought me such joy. Of course, it would be better to see your parents after their separation as friends rather than to remain as enemies. We were like a one big happy family then. We even went out together to the mall and ate the meal together for the first time in eleven years. In addition to that, we celebrated Noche Buena together. Despite of the sudden turn of events, I still etched out the possibility of them going back together.

Despite that my parents were already separated, I value my family so much. They are truly the ones that I have. I am sure that they will never leave by my side and so as am I to them. I value them as much as I value my life which was possible through them. Likewise, the distance among us does not matter to me as long as all of us are interconnected in our hearts.

I have learned that we people should not be idealistic, we should be realistic in facing difficult situations. At some point in my life, I have become an idealist that I want everything to be in good order. At that point, I wished that my parents were back together. But now, I have become a realist. I have learned that things do not always happen the way we wanted it. Things happen for a purpose and that purpose is for us to learn something, to realize something. We should learn to move on and go on with our lives. Nothing will happen to us if we always view things in a negative manner.