Brangelina is getting a divorce and news and entertainment outlets are having a field day. I’m not accusing them of celebrating divorce but let’s face it—this gives them a lot to write and talk about. There’s danger in this type of publicity that I’d like to address.
When famous people get divorced, it seems commonplace. Another couple, another divorce. Then one partner falls in love again, celebrating with a glamorous wedding and then of course, another divorce follows.
Many people want to read about it, and I understand, but we must be very, very careful. A peculiar phenomenon happens when folks see the same cycle repeated: they begin to believe that the cycle is normal and not a big deal.
This is a dangerous leap. When grown adults believe that divorce is no big deal, we deceive ourselves. And if there are kids wrapped up in the divorce, pain like the children have never experienced is about to unfold in their lives.
To each and every child who lives through it, divorce is a very big deal.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have built a personal brand around humanitarianism and compassion. They speak up for the underprivileged and they adopted children in order to spare them the horrors of poverty. How ironic that these two who champion themselves as child advocates are ignorant to the pain they are about to unleash upon their own kids. Some people have the notion that “staying together for the children” is passé, but I don’t see it that way. Staying together for children is an excellent reason to remain married, unless there is frank abuse.
I am so tired of hearing parents in the midst of a divorce say that they are “putting the needs of the children first.” Sorry friends, most parents do not do anything close to this. If they really put the needs of the children first, they would do everything humanly possible to prevent divorce because the hurt that kids carry from it is far worse than the pain of living with parents who can’t get along.