What Happens to Adults When Their Parents Divorce?

While there are more than two million couples in the United States who decide to tie and knot and pledge undying love to one another every year, there are also around one million couples who take the legal steps necessary to end their marriages and join the large population of people in our country who are divorced. While the divorce rate has dipped slightly over the past several years, the number of failed marriages and fractured families is still sadly high.

When we think about the stereotypical couples who usually get divorced, they seem to fall into three categories. There are those who get divorced soon after the wedding ceremony, quickly realizing they have made a mistake. Many couples also fall victim to the infamous "seven year itch," when busy lives and young children have diminished the spark that once existed. And, we also see marriages falling apart when the home becomes an "empty nest." Sometimes a couple cannot adjust to operating in a role other than parent.

There are also divorces that defy all predictions and take place between two people who no one would have expected to split. One such separation has just taken place between Al and Tipper Gore. Married for forty years and forever caught on film in that passionate kiss back in 2000, their recent announcement that they would be ending their marriage shocked everyone.

We often hear about the effects of divorce on children--depression, issues in school, guilt, just to name a few. But, what about when you are already an adult and your parents divorce? What challenges and emotions are the Gore children facing right now? If any of you has experience as an adult child of divorce, I would appreciate you sharing your story with us.

All of my novels feature story lines that examine the complicated relationships that exist within a family, including the fallout that occurs with a divorce. I hope you will check out my books and let me know what you think!