This time, it was an elder half-sibling who wanted us to come to a party. This individual has moved to a nearby town and wanted to get reacquainted.
We didn't even return the phone call.
The other half-sibling, the one we had to make a hard call about, has left us a number of messages by way of voicemail, text and social media site.
We haven't returned any of those messages either.
After FosterEema and I talked it over between ourselves and with our therapist, we decided to cut these folks out of our lives.
Although we both recognize the importance of birth family contact, we also realize that there is an even greater need for family safety. We've come to the sad conclusion that the majority of Danielle's birth family members have criminal records, use or sell drugs, and/or are involved in gangs. We don't need this in our life, and Danielle doesn't either.
If she wants to contact these people after she's 18, that's her business and her right. But now, when it's clear these people are not law-abiding citizens. We don't want them around.
The basic premise is that we wouldn't allow these people around us if they were friends or our own blood relatives. If we wouldn't tolerate this kind of behavior from friends or family, why should Danielle's birth family receive special dispensation?
The truth is, they shouldn't.
So we did not tell Danielle this time around when her half-sibling tried to get in contact.
