I had to make that decision. It was a long, arduous and traumatic journey. When it was just me, I always forgave and put up with it because they always said, "family is family" and "Christians must forgive."

When my husband was added to the relationships, he was an adult. He couldn't fathom how bad it could be. Neither could he ever encourage me to cut my kin out of our lives.

When they turned their abuse and bigotry on my son… That, I would not tolerate. I cut them off completely for a couple of years. We were reconciled before Mother died. But, I never let them close again. Now that Mother and Father are both gone, I have almost no contact with my surviving sisters.