Dear B.B.,

Your advice column is the best! I have fun reading about other girls who are having problems. I like learning from your awesome advice! I hope you can help me with my problem too.

My parents are getting divorced. I feel like my whole world is falling apart. My mom wants to move back to Utah. But my dad wants to stay in California. I love both my parents very much and I don't want to be away from either one of them. I don't want to have to choose one over the other. My little brother is acting really mean lately because he's really scared and angry too. How can we make our parents stay together? Therapy? My brother and I want to call Oprah or Dr. Phil. Do you know how to contact Oprah or Dr. Phil?

Thanks, B.B.!

My-Linh T.
Age 10
San Diego, CA

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Dear My-Linh,

Thank you for writing to us with your problem! We're so sorry to hear about what you're going through right now! Divorce and the splitting of a family is one of life's greatest tragedies. Our hearts go out to you, My-Linh.

Buddha has a saying that addresses your situation:

"A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden."

My-Linh, you and your brother are the precious flowers in the garden that your parents created together. They love you too much to hurt you with the difficulties that they are facing with one another. As weird and awful as it seems, they believe that by getting a divorce, they are protecting you. They want to protect you from the fights they keep getting into, which might hurt you more in the long run than if they were to separate now.

However, you sure are wise for suggesting therapy! I've learned by being the mediator in our household (it can get pretty crazy living with Fiyah Cracker, Minnie, and Mei-Mei because everyone is so unique and special and sometimes our values clash) that everyone needs help to see a situation clearly. Therapy is great for that. I think that if your parents haven't already, they would really consider it, especially if the request came from their two precious kids.

Going on Oprah or Dr. Phil to deal with their problems may be too difficult for your parents because what they are going through is very painful and personal for them. They may prefer a private therapist to help them sort through their issues. But you can visit Oprah's site at: www.oprah.com and Dr. Phil's site at: www.drphil.com to learn how you can contact them to try and get your parents on the show so that they can be helped! It never hurts to try!

We wish you the very best of luck, My-Linh. Please remember that no matter the outcome, your parents love you and your brother very, very much and that near or far, you are family. That will never, ever change.

Love, harmony, and dragon Zen,  B.B.