My cousin has been living with us for over a year. What was a weekend became a week became until her first paycheck to a year and a half. To say that she’s a toxic individual would be an understatement. She triggers my childhood trauma DAILY to the point that I spend the minimal amount of time possible at my own house. Her toxicity has completely unraveled the few hard won steps of progress mom managed to make in therapy. Two months ago I sobbed to mom about the situation, my mental health, the trauma etc. She seemed so hurt I thought she had finally understood. But here we are two months later.

There’s something cutting about the fact that your own MOTHER could know how much a person and situation hurts you and is only “thinking” about how to deal with it a year later. And also considers the action of kicking the person out hurdling the Panama Canal rather than just putting my only child’s mental health first.