I was 10-years-old when my parents told me they were getting a divorce. I can't remember much about that night, other than I had been at ballet class earlier and that I was excited to see my friend Adrienne at school the next day. I was in fifth grade.
I don't want to say I became a sort of celebrity in my elementary school class because I don't want to make divorce sound glamorous. But I did notice that there was a slight buzz around me; some of my friends' parents had split up when they were younger, but I was the first of any of my classmates to experience a divorce and somewhat understand it.
Playground celebrity status aside, I look back on those first few months after my parents made their big announcement and remember how conflicted I felt. I remember feeling like I was being pulled in a thousand different directions.
I may have been 10,but I wasn't stupid.
in the end, after years of turmoil, I know my parents are now happy. And that makes me a little happier in return.
Now that I'm even older and have had some retrospect on the situation, I'm no longer completely fearful. But it's interesting how my story varies between those who have experienced at different ages, especially college students who are often ignored throughout the process because they're of legal age. For more on adult children of divorce, read Christy's story on page 8.
GABRIELLE SCHOCK | EDITOR
wasn't fooled by my counselor's "you'll get two Christmases now" spiel and deep down I knew that the divorce wasn't my or my brother's fault.
But I was vulnerable. Think about your late-elementary and junior high years when you're just starting to figure out that the opposite sex probably isn't totally disgusted. Going through this phase alongside my parent's divorce really affected me more than I like to admit. I noticed that as I got older and started dating, I became someone fearful of a long-term commitment, so afraid of divorce that I vowed never to get married and never to have kids.
EDITOR | GABRIELLE SCHOCK
ASSOCIATE EDITOR | CARAL QUAM
ASSOCIATE EDITOR | SARAH CHAMP
**DESIGNER** | ALEX MILBOURN, SARAH CHAMP
**CONTACT** | BAILEY ATKINSON, CHRISTINE CURTIN,
  TAYLOR LEWIS
**MANUAL | CHRIS NEAL, KATIE JAMES**
**NOTICE | AMANDA GAGE, NADIA IMAFIDON, MATT GALLOWAY**
HEALTH | BRE ROACH, CHRISTY NUTT, KYLIE
PLAY | DREW WILLE, JEFF KARR, MAX GREEN-WOOD
CONTRIBUTORS | CHANCE CARMICHAEL,
DYLAN DERRYBERRY, JAROD KILGORE, LANDON
MCDONALD ,MAGGIE YOUNG, SAVANNAH AB-
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CREATIVE CONSULTANT | CAROL HOLSTEAD
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