Being An Adult Child Of Divorce

When Lisa-Jane Stratton’s parents split after a 50-year marriage, the devastation hit her harder than ever

- Helen Carroll & Sarah Holmes

As a child, I loved looking through my parents’ wedding album, and there was one picture in particular that always fascinated me. It was of my mother and father slicing their wedding cake, the British and American flags skewered into the top to represent their different nationalities. my mum looked like a princess in her ivory wedding gown, and my dad her prince.

Seeing that picture, I couldn’t help but feel proud. It was almost like glimpsing at a real-life fairy tale. My parents met in 1950, when my father, Bob, was introduced to my mother, Frances, by her cousin. Dad had been stationed in London with the US Navy. On their first date, Dad picked Mum up in a classic American car, which impressed her a lot.

Within two years, they were married and moved to Florida, where my dad worked in the car business. But my mum missed home too much, so they came to an arrangement – they’d split their time between the US and the UK, and when Dad retired they’d relocate to England.

A year later, in 1953, my brother Robert Jnr was born, followed by me in 1963. Growing up, I don’t think I ever saw my parents holding hands or kissing in public, but they always had a mutual respect and seemed to be great friends. Never was this more apparent than when they were hosting one of their legendary summer parties, where Dad was usually stationed at the barbecue, while Mum whizzed around topping up glasses. When I moved to London to start work in marketing, I always looked forward to my trips home to see them.

The golden years