Essay - As on Only Child, I Received More Emotional Care Than...

As on *****ly child, I received more emotional care than most of my friends with siblings. My parents created for me a safe environment from where I could view the outside world with optimism. They also tended to spoil me, but none*****less my boundaries were usually clear. Mom and dad were my king and queen: it see*****d they would forever watch over me ***** protect me.

My parents first showed signs ***** separating when I was about nine or ten years old. I re*****mber suddenly finding *****self mediating between them when they fought; my immature senses believed I was always a culpr*****. ***** can't even remember genuine turbulence in my househ***** before then. All other fights seemed trivial and short-lived, but not these. I started acting rude and obnoxious ***** get their attention, which had previously been lathered on me.

The teenage years can be wrought with psychological trauma; a combin*****tion of peer ***** parental pressures weigh on the developing young person. ***** was no exception and experienced the difficulties ***** adolescence as soon as ***** parents first ***** signs of separation. I remember talking to my best friend in the mall one afternoon. She *****ld me her parents were gett*****g divorced. At the time I thought little of it, for several of my o*****r friends' parents had already been divorced for years. But for some reason I made a confession: my parents ***** ***** fighting a lot, and ***** ***** my biggest fear. If they got divorced, I wouldn't know whom to live with. If ***** got *****, it would have been because I've been talking back too much, because I'm rude and belligerent. Basically, I feared that my ***** would be shattered.

My early childhood was full of play, joy, ***** fun. As an only child, I had m*****y friends, surrogate sisters and ***** who ***** fill ***** hours with delightful games but whom I never ***** to compete ***** for affection, attention, or *****ys. I loved my position as the princess of the family: ***** had free reign; I had ***** own room. When ***** got punished, it didn't last very long. I was sent to my room, ***** was filled with ***** favorite things. ***** didn't mind spending hours in there alone, playing pretend ***** with my dolls or making up strange new worlds. When I got together ***** my ***** *****, we would catch lizards in the ***** yard and created a reptilian village with toothpick-and-tinfoil beds. ***** came home to ***** solace of my room, ***** ***** retreat and my safety. ***** ***** parents got a divorce, this s*****fety would be shattered. A totally different dynamic would ensue and it was unknown and frightening. If I lived ***** only my mom, who would scold me when ***** did wrong? My mom ***** left that part up to ***** dad, ***** was the best disciplinarian I knew. While I hated being punished at ***** time, subconsciously ***** knew ***** he ***** so w*****h a heavy