"I was very fortuante to have been raised by two parents.  My parents are still together after 43 years of marriage.  They are an amazing team and they give me hope for what I might one day have.  Both of my parents came from Catholic families.  So, I was raised Catholic.  I went to private grade school, high school and college.  Obviously, divorce is NOT taken lightly in the Catholic faith.  I remember the secrecy and guilt surrounding the divorces of two of my aunts.  Regardless, as I went through my studies, I started thinking for myself and realizing what is truly important in life.  I asked myself questions such as "Would God really choose for people to stay in a miserable marriage?" 
 
Right after college, my sister married a man who had been in the seminary to become a priest.  They were married for 16 years.  And even though her ex has a talent for driving her crazy today (although she has learned to laugh at most of it), I know she would not change a thing, because she was blessed with three incredible children from that marriage.  I had many issues with my ex brother-in-law while they were married.  And my sister always stuck up for him to me.  I could never understand it.  She never spoke ill of him.  After years and years of knowing he was no good for her, she finally realized how unstable he was.  After a long, hard, ugly struggle, my sister was divorced.  Due to my own relationship issues at the time (with my eventual ex-husband), I was not there for my sister like I should have been.  She turned to others for support.  It hurts me when I think about those days and how I wasn't there for her. 
 
A few years later, I found myself in a similar situation to hers (less 15 years and the 3 kids).  Overcoming her own issues with men like her ex, she stood by me the entire way when I chose to end my marriage to a man with similar issues.  By then my sister was remarried.  She and her new husband welcomed me into their house day after day, night after night.  They gave me strength, compassion, support and love.  I tear up at the thought that I wasn't able to do the same for her.  She was stronger than me and was able to forgive me and just love me.
 
For this reason, and so many more, I think it is imperative to offer support, compassion, guidance and love to anyone dealing with divorce and all of its repercussions."