“The thing I miss most from home, is having a home.

Anthony Liccione

Many people live with the effects of a broken family, even if they don't show it.That one kid in class, a
coworker, or even the cashier at your local Woolies could be from a broken family and you'd never
know.You learn from a young age that people are often insensitive, as most people don't care about
what's going on at your home and often don't acknowledge it if they don't see it. While you're not
looking for sympathy, a little thought goes a long way. However, you learn that if something doesn't
leave a physical mark, people often don't notice. Coming from a broken family makes you feel isolated
and cut off from the rest of the world. Being so far away from a parent or sibling can make you feel
obligated to deal with them.

Why? Because it's humiliating. It's humiliating because you feel like you're the only one with a
dysfunctional family. It's humiliating because, when everyone else's parents pick them up, you're left to
catch a ride or take public transportation. It hurts because it can be tough to understand why your
family is the way they are. Why must you suffer while everyone else appears to be content with their
families? Why are you in such pain while other families seem to get along so well? Why it's not your
fault. Accepting that it's not your fault is difficult. Self-blame and guilt can result from a spiraling mind
with infinite thoughts and loneliness with no escape; the idea that your birth was a burden and the
cause of this whole catastrophe. But you gradually come to realize that it's not your fault; that you
shouldn't assume responsibility for other people's mistakes.The majority of holidays are terrible. This is
when your feeds are inundated with photos of your friends' families, capturing everything yours isn't.
Christmas is particularly terrible. You hear of your friends' families traveling to other countries merely to
see their extended family. It's incredible, and you just want to be a part of a family that is willing to go to
such lengths to be together. You dread parent-teacher conferences. It makes you nervous because you
don't want your teachers to call home or learn about your situation. You despise any other event that
requires a parent's presence, and it makes you envious of other parents who care enough to make such
an effort with their children.

Having said that, while coming from a broken home is difficult, it teaches you a lot. You learn to
persevere in the face of adversity and to bear challenges. You learn to deal with and face
embarrassment. You develop a special feeling of empathy and compassion. You learn not to mistreat
others because you never know what they are going through at home. These experiences help you form
strong bonds with your friends, and while you fear one day having a broken family of your own, you
know you'll do whatever it takes to keep your family happy and supportive.