There's an old proverb that asserts blood is thicker than water.

Although the idiom deviates from its origin, in today's world it implicates familial bonds will always be stronger and exude more power than friendships or love interests. Because of this present translation, we associate family as an instantaneous priority. In other words, it has become a societal standard or even a moral standard to completely prioritize your family over everyone else in your life, despite the type of relationship you may have with that particular relative.

To a certain degree, I do believe that blood is thicker than water (or at least, it certainly can be). For instance, I have very good relationships with a lot of my immediate family members. I would take a bullet for many of them: my parents, my siblings, my grandparents, my cousins, my aunts, my uncles. I would die for them in a heartbeat. However, in terms of what I'm writing about, I'm not talking about the family that you maintain strong (or civil, at the very least) ties to. Rather, I'm referring to the family that's toxic to you. The family that forces you into a dark place. A place of instability, alienation, and absolutely no support whatsoever.

I recently had a long and personal conversation with two women I have been close with all my life (I've chosen to not reveal their identities for the sake of privacy). We talked about one of their family members, a person who has shown to be dubious, deceptive, and untrustworthy. This person has turned on their own siblings, parents, and significant others to subdue them and take control. Their actions prove the nature of their character. And personally, I lost so much respect for her hearing about all the things this person has done in the past.

I'm not saying to shed a bad light on someone's name. You should remain respectful as best as you can. But what I am saying is that in some cases, sometimes a member of your own family is the most toxic and poisonous aspect of your life, and you're better off without them. Sometimes you CAN encounter friends or other loved ones that replace those family members and can act as a better sibling, parent, etc., than your actual familial counterpart would.

Relationships are a touchy subject. And I often hear, "Well, that's still family, so they should still be in your life."

If ANYONE in your life is the reason behind unnecessary dysfunctionality or a detriment to your mental health, including family, you don't need them in your life.

(AGAIN, I want to stress the fact that everyone has downfalls and goes through periods of hardships. This is normal and healthy for all families to endure. But, this doesn't apply to the family members that are abusive and an overall detriment to the family's wellbeing.)

I'm so sorry to those with broken families and those that come from broken homes. Remember that you can find people to weave into your life that will love you just as if you were blood.

Don't let blood relations fool you. "Family" can stem beyond what the genetics say.