Why Family Breaks Up
I have this aunt—my mother’s cousin.
When I was little, I remember her being kind to me. No bad memories. I’m sure of it.
One thing I do remember clearly: she used to watch a lot of African juju movies. Constantly. It was her thing. We’d be forced to watch too, since we were being babysat for the weekend.
Over time, the kind of negative thinking from those movies started seeping into my own thoughts and actions. I began tracing where those beliefs came from. Guess who?
Eventually, I started avoiding her whenever she came over.
Years passed.
A couple of days ago, I saw her. She’s back from Germany, where she lives now.
She saw me. I saw her.
I said hello from a distance, instead of the hugs we used to share when I was little.
That’s life.
