Having a family that appreciates you for who you are and supports you during every step of your journey is truly a blessing. It gives you the freedom to be yourself and enjoy life to the fullest. Sadly, some people are not lucky enough to share that kind of love with their relatives.
Even though you share the same blood, sometimes family members can turn out to be the most toxic people in your life.
These kinds of negative relationships are the hardest to let go of. In your mind, these people are family, and no matter what they do, you should always respect them and be there for them. But what happens when they mistreat you, use you, and care for you only when they need a favor?
How far would your patience go until you realize that toxic people don’t deserve to be in your life, even if they are family?
You need to let these inconsiderate people know that being related by blood is not an excuse to treat someone so poorly. It doesn’t give you the right to play with someone’s emotions and to belittle their feelings. And it definitely doesn’t mean you can manipulate them just because you had the chance to get to know their weaknesses.
What’s even more important is that being related by blood is not a reason for you to feel guilty about cutting toxic people off. Although you know them since you were just a child and you want to believe they deserve another chance, family members can treat you just as insensitive as strangers. In fact, they can be far worse because they can use what they know about you against you.
Just because relatives have been in your life for so long, it doesn’t mean you should tolerate their toxicity.
No one has the right to disrespect your feelings and manipulate your emotions, not even the people who raised you. Cutting toxic family members off is not selfish – it’s necessary. That’s because these people have the highest chance to break your heart in a way it could never be healed. They know your strengths, your flaws, your dreams, and your fears. If you choose to tolerate their cynicism, you should be prepared for all this knowledge to be unleashed upon you in the worst ways possible.
So, forget what everybody else says and listen to your heart. If it tells you to distance yourself from these people, there’s surely a good reason for that. After all, your wellbeing depends entirely on you. You deserve to be treated with respect, appreciation, and integrity. If these individuals are intentionally standing in the way of your happiness and don’t appreciate your presence, they have no place in your life. Anyone who makes you feel bad about yourself needs to go.
You may not have the freedom to choose your family, but you can choose the people you want to surround yourself with. Use that power wisely.
