Family Essay Example: Comparing My Attitude to Mom and Dad

It was that time of the month again, the dreaded move from my dad to my mother. She was coming to pick me up tomorrow to live with her for a month, then I would return here, to this comfy, cosy place. 

Nothing seemed to interest me. I tried starting up my Nintendo Switch and playing Super Smash Bros but it didn’t lift my mood. I also tried reading a book yet I dropped the activity in five minutes. I even attempted to finish my Science essay only to find out I couldn’t come up with any ideas for it. It was like this every time I had to go back to her; my grades dropped together with my mood and interests. 

On the other hand though, when it was time for me to go back to my dad, my spirits lifted and so did my grades. I wanted to go outside, hang out with my friends, play games, have fun. I became a more likeable person. 

My whole life has been a stroke of black after a stroke of white, on repeat since the incident, the divorce of my parents.

One rainy night I could hear my mom and dad arguing in the kitchen about something again. This was now becoming daily practice so I just ignored it and went back to my work. Yet through the music I was playing, I could still hear my mother yelling. I thought it was really getting out of hand today so I decided to go check what was bothering them. As I walked into the kitchen I heard my mom yell the phrase I had feared since the start of their arguments: 

“This is it! I want a divorce, now!”

I was shocked and truly heartbroken. I ran to my room and cried for what felt like hours until I heard a knock on the door. My dad came walking through, defeated and sad yet still strong and positive. He comforted me saying that it was going to be fine and that it would get sorted out. He took me in his arms and hugged me for a while, his soothing steady voice comforting me. Finally, he put me to bed, gave me a last good-night kiss, and left.

My mother didn’t even bother to come to me to explain the situation. She just went straight to her room and sat there minding her own business. That was the worst part of it. She didn’t care enough to tell me, which hurt me the most.

My dad's soft voice woke me up from my thoughts calling me down to eat dinner. I quickly stood up and headed to the kitchen to see my favourite meal, his homemade lasagna with spinach on the side, on the table and my dad standing with a wide grin beside it. 

He always seemed to be able to improve my mood, no matter the reason and how bad it was. This was why I liked him so much. I grinned back at him and we sat down to eat dinner. 

Like always, it was an amusing supper; my dad was cracking jokes left and right, we were discussing the latest news, laughing about it and making fun of those bad decisions. I almost forgot about tomorrow’s move.

About Mom

The horn of my mom’s car woke me up from my sleep. I had dreamed of her coming home with other men and the smell of smoke filling the house from her cigarettes.  It was horrible. With the images fresh in my mind I headed downstairs. There, I was surprised to see my dad putting my warm, delicious breakfast on the table. I was grateful for the good start to this soon to be horrible day. I also noticed that my stuff was packed and ready to go. My heart lifted at the sight of it. What was it great to have a family member that cared about you, did things for you out of love, not need.

Not wasting too much time, I quickly ate my tasty breakfast and tightly hugged my dad. As I started walking out, he stopped me and gave me a conch. It glittered in the light like the stars in the sky, light blue and bright. He told me, that if I listened hard enough, I could hear him. I told him that I would keep it safe and went outside. 

The horn blasted my ears as soon as I stepped outside. Not wanting to hear that awful sound any longer, I quickly ran up to the car and got in. As soon as I got in, I could sense a storm in the air. I sat down in the back seat and tried to ignore her presence but that was nearly impossible. 

A rain of curses washed over me, telling me off for taking so long and not being ready on time. I shrunk into my seat wanting to disappear. She kept on running her mouth about how ungrateful I was for her, how I should be thanking her for picking me up and not making me walk. It all pressed down on me. Down, down, down.

My mind sought comfort in the only lovable thing left in the car. I took the conch out of my pocket and pressed it tightly against my chest. Warmth quickly filled me and I was happy again. I noticed the bright skies, pale blue, like the shell, and the sun, bright and warm against me. I put it against my ear and listened for the calming, comforting voice of my dad. I could faintly hear it in the distance, reassuring me.  

“Hey, what have you got there?!” said a different raspy voice. My mother grabbed the shell out of my hand: “A gift from your father I see. Well, you can say farewell to it now.” She opened the window and flung the conch onto the pavement, where it exploded into a thousand different pieces.