Today my childhood homes only exist in my memories 

and in my thoughts and in my veins 

and in my blood and in my bones - 

for they are no longer mine to hold.

For 

I have grown up, but 

a part of me is still 

that small girl.

In 2021, Pope Francis established the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and Elderly, which is the fourth Sunday of July. In 2025, we decided to do something special in preparation for that, and to honor our grandparents along the way.

We asked Adult Children of Divorce or Separation to help us create a series of collaborative blog posts, poems, and/or artwork  which showcase the role their grandparents played in their lives, and how they have aided in the healing journey as children of divorce grow into adulthood. We want to ennoble them with the important role they play in their grandchildren's lives. 

I share this tale because I know many of us long to hear apologies from one or both of our parents for their own roles in the divorce. I just encourage you to pray for apologies and a sense of remorse not for your own sake but for theirs. If we forgive them in our hearts, we can find healing without their apologies.

Knowing that I am made in the image and likeness of God brings a lot of comfort on the days that I don’t feel like I know who (or Whose) I am. I can still struggle in understanding my identity because of what happened with my parents, but now I’m in a much better place.

The phenomenon known as “gray divorce” — when couples older than 50 end their marriage — has grown dramatically in the past few decades. Since the 1990s, the divorce rate has doubled for Americans over 50, and tripled for those over 65. And the trend doesn’t seem to be abating any time soon.

What about the children in these situations, like Bruce? They are young adults or adults themselves, perhaps out of the home or getting ready to “launch.” How does their parents’ split affect them?