To the family who willingly walked out of my life,

I know for a fact that I've written, re-written and re-re-written this message hundreds, if not thousands, of times by now. To be frank, this letter is going to be more words than it should be -- it's more than you deserve. I don't know if any arrangement or re-arrangement of words could possibly convey the emotional damage that has been caused by you.

As I sit in my room at my university preparing to schedule the classes that will make up the first semester of my junior year, I suddenly realize just how much of my life that you've missed. You missed my senior homecoming and prom, my graduation, my 18th birthday (along with others since,) my first day of college, surgeries and everyday between then and since. How does that make you feel? Does it phase you in the slightest? Do you feel a slight tinge of regret? A pang in your heart knowing how much you've hurt not only me, but also those you claimed to once love?

Maybe it's because I'm only 19 and "don't understand the way the world works," but find it incomprehensible how family can just walk out on those they claim they love. I don't see how they can continuously slander the name of their family, call them names not in a joking matter, but one from a place of pure hatred (by the way, "Hagatha?" of all the names, you choose that? #weak). It doesn't make sense how someone can waltz away from a family that, while it had its issues, was the best family you were ever going to find, only to wander into the arms of another lesser family.

Well, to the family that decided to leave, I have two words for you: good riddance. I've established lately that I'm sick of crossing oceans for those who are too afraid to jump puddles for me. I'm tired of trying to put together the pieces that you yourself broke, while you have no intentions of helping or intentions to fix it. You stripped away the last bit of childhood and hope I had in order to fulfill your selfish needs -- and those years were spent crying and wondering what I did wrong. I've learned it's not me -- it's you.

The older I get, the more I realize that you don't want me anymore. While that took me a while to realize, I've finally come to accept it and there's no going back. There's no way to make up for the time you missed or to relive the most pivotal points of my life thus far that you've missed. I'm making memories with other people now, and I've established that the saying "blood is thicker than water" is anything but true. I'm making family out of the friends that have been here for me when you haven't wanted to me, so thank you for helping me realize who the family is that truly matters. So while all I want to say is "forget you, screw you, etc.," all I can truly say is "thank you" and "have a nice life without me." I'm making memories with new people now. Better people.

Sincerely,

The niece and granddaughter you left

P.S. Please don't continue to post subliminal posts on Facebook to your friends about how you "still care" and how I'm "in the wrong." I can't see them, remember?

P.P.S. ...because you blocked me on every form of social media.

P.P.P.S. Don't tell your friends you care or that you're "offended that I wrote this"-- they'll know the truth soon enough.