Children’s message to their parents
“If you want to separate and break your marriage, please let us be a part of your decision. We, the children are the victims of a broken marriage and we are traumatized.”
These was the sentiment of the three college students of Holy Trinity of Bohol whom I had the chance to interview together with my co-anchors Isabel de los Santos and Winda Virtudazo, for our radio program “Babaye Bililhon” over station DYRF Radio Fuerza.
The students cried when they shared their experiences. One student divulged that his parents were separated two years ago. He was shocked one morning when his parents told him and his four other siblings that they were going to separate. “I was confused. I just couldn’t understand. During that moment I wanted to run away from home. I thought that I was the cause of their separation.”
The other one revealed that her parents separated because her father who worked in Dubai had another family. She said, “I just couldn’t understand why parents are not loyal to their vows and commitments. It’s truly a painful experience when parents separate. I, for one feel insecure, especially during school activities when I see my classmates together with their parents during school activities. I envy them. I feel so small. I wanted to hide during school activities. I would cry in moments like this.”
The other one confided that there was no communication in the family. Her father who is a seaman never bothered to communicate with them. Whenever I watched TV, and he is around, I feel uncomfortable. How I wish that he would reached us out. I just want him to be out of the country because his presence means nothing to me. I envy my classmates whose parents are communicative and have a close bonding. Some parents thought that the material things that they bought for us suffice our needs. That’s absolutely not true. We want their time, presence and bonding! Can’t they not sense and see what we need?”
When I asked them about the Divorce Law they all replied, “Definitely, we are against it. It would just be easy for people to get married without any consideration of their obligations, duties, and responsibilities. And when the marriage would go awry, they would just divorce. Who suffer then? The children! We hope and pray that the Divorce Law would not be passed in congress and that our legislators would study hard so Divorce Law would not be approved. They should see the negative impact of the law on the children.”
I, for one, is not in favor of the Divorce Law. I feel that my life belongs to my children. When I had moments of stormy journey in my marriage, I always tell myself, “Since I am already in this race, I must reach the finish line.” I’m glad that I did.