The Time I Almost Gave Up

Growing up life was not easy for me; this is because of the unfounded and strained relationship between both my parents. Growing up to meet my parents living apart from each other was so disappointing and discouraging.

• Physically *

• Emotionally *

• psychologically*

my relationship with others*

When both parents are leaving together, the physical appearance of their children will be one of their priorities, whereby the child or children in such circumstances will always feel loved by both parents.
For instance, the children will always have regular changes of clothes, shoes, recreation, and every other thing that makes life enjoyable. But being raised by divided parents poses a challenge for me to have the above-mentioned and other care from my parents.

As such, learning about and maintaining personal physical hygiene was not easy for me, especially at my early age, because of the insufficient time from just one parent. who at the time cared for all the family responsibilities, such as to implement and impact knowledge about physical life. As a result, I always associated with other children who were physically unkempt, such as wearing uncleaned clothing and bathing with dirty water.

The feeling of being abandoned was so devastating emotionally. It was always difficult for me to associate with children who enjoyed the love and care of both parents, because I felt that I was unfit to be among such children.

The thoughts of being discriminated against and feelings of being worthless always left me with sadness. I was always unhappy and depressed.

I could not do very well in school because of not being coached very well, which left me with the feeling of failure.

I was unprepared to accept the reality and deal with the challenges associated with puberty because I was not told what changes my body will undergo and the results of those changes during the puberty period. It was so scary for me sometimes to see my body undergo some changes.

Because of the unbalanced upbringing, my thoughts were not always wholesome, and my view of others was distorted. This made life so hard for me; at some point, giving up was my only option, but thanks to God Almighty, I didn't give up. I had to embrace my fate and work to be a better person.

I began to love myself first; I stopped seeing myself as worthless because of my parents' actions. Though it's hard to move on and the past cannot be erased, knowing that I can't change the hands of Time has helped me to accept the reality of life.

Divorce is not always the best option, because it will have a big negative impact on our children; it doesn't provide a secure environment to raise children.

The best thing I can do for myself is to let go of my past and focus on myself. Because I don't have control over my past, but I can control my future. Loving myself first opens the way for others to do the same.

Today I'm married with two kids, and my family is the most important thing in my life. I vow never to repeat the mistake of my parents; that's why I work very hard to make my family happy and to give them the best life ever. I don't want my kids to grow up to experience the life I experience. Thanks to Almighty God, he gave me a good woman. With her, it makes it easier for me to keep to my vow. We work to resolve problems instead of walking out of them.