yuumei on Deviant Art and her Comic

This inspiring image was drawn by yuumei on Deviantart. I found it while browsing through popular pictures, and there's no doubt as to why it's so popular.

The picture itself contains the feelings of a young girl whose parents have divorced; however, underneath even the picture lie the chaotic feelings of real people who have experienced their parents' divorce, and that is what makes this picture such amazing art. I believe that this is what art is made to do - to let people feel what they didn't know they felt, and to let them discover new things about their self.

I have never understood the great pain which accompanies divorce. My parents are still married, but there have been many, many times throughout my life when I'd wished for them to separate. I could sympathize with those whose parents had divorced, but I could never truly understand because I wished for it so vehemently in my heart. I watched one of my best friend's parents divorce, and her pain was agonizing; I knew of another friend's parents divorce, and though I was too young to have seen it, I could see the result and its pain echo throughout her life.

However, this picture, along with the beautifully fluid webcomic that was inspired my a commenter's quote, has made me understand divorce and its effects a bit more fully. Reading everyone's comments and feelings about it, I gained an invaluable glimpse into what divorce is like for some people. I still think that separation is necessary in some cases, but, as yuumei said, I also wish that people wouldn't seem to take it so lightly in cases where they know that it will severely affect others' feelings. The most important message is to understand a commitment before you make one, and to carefully consider others' feelings in your decisions, especially if you're a parent!

I'm a psychology major, and in class I learned a lot about divorce and things that people can do to make divorce less painful for their children.

-Try not to drastically change the child's environment

-Do not argue in front of the children

-Do not use the children as messengers

-Do not badmouth the other spouse when divorcing

-If the child is older, let him/her participate in as many decisions as possible

-If it is safe enough to do so, regularly let the child/children see the other parent.

-Above all, be warm and responsive to the child/children at all times. No matter what the circumstance, warmth and responsiveness of parents may help children cope with chaotic upheaval and even other bad environmental conditions.