Every human connection is bound to experience some conflicts. It doesn’t matter if you’re lifelong friends, spouses that have been together for what seems like an eternity or if it’s a person from your close family circle – altercations are inevitable; moreover, they’re normal. However, it’s only acceptable to some extent as there is a fine line between a healthy argument and a toxic dispute.

Understanding that your family’s culture is far from wholesome is a long and exhausting process. Many folks struggle to come to terms with having a toxic family, and they tolerate this kind of lifestyle until something bigger triggers their viewpoint. People experience a sense of guilt when it comes to cutting ties with their parents and/or siblings, as from a very young age, we’ve been told that since someone “made you”, you’re obligated to endure their abusive personalities.

More info: Reddit

Every family bond is different – however, when your parents decide to exclude you from a family photoshoot just because you’re at college, it makes you question things

Image credits: Brendon Connelly (not the actual image)

“AITA for taking ‘family’ photos to send out without my actual mom and stepdad (and with friends in costume as them) after they took their family photos without me?” – an online user took it to one of the most popular subreddits to reveal a story concerning her family leaving her out of their annual family Easter card simply because she was away at college, which was located a few minutes away from her home. The post received nearly 14K upvotes and 810 worth of comments discussing this rather selfish event.

Family takes Easter card photos without their 18-year-old daughter, she pranks them by replacing the photo with one that she took with her friends and gets in trouble

Image credits: u/daisydelo

The author began her post with an introduction to her family; she revealed that she’s a college student and that her mother had her at age 17. The woman later married the OP’s stepfather with whom she has a 9-year-old and a 12-year-old.

Image credits: u/daisydelo

Before Easter, when the author was at college, she found out that her family took the card photos without her. Her mother justified it by saying that she needed to print them in time, thought the teen’s college is only 25 minutes away. The 18-year-old revealed that she feels like her stepfather is not that pumped about having another guy’s child as part of the family, as he also described the photo as “close family” – however, he quickly corrected himself saying that he meant that in a physical way, as the OP was away at college. Naturally, the situation upset the teen but instead of causing a scene, she decided to play a little joke.

Image credits: Ravenshoe Group (no the actual image)

Image credits: u/daisydelo

The college student decided to take her siblings and two of her best friends to Walmart’s photo studio, where they took “deliberately cheesy” family photos. Every participant wore denim and the OP’s friends were dressed as her mother and stepfather, with a female friend as the stepdad and a male friend as the mom. The group took a bunch of photos and picked their favorite one of them standing in silly poses and wearing raccoon skin hats.

Image credits: u/daisydelo

The OP revealed that it was an extremely fun photo, and it differed from the serious ones that her family usually had. She printed it on cards and signed them accordingly, then swapped the cards in the envelopes and resealed them with the sort of stickers her mother uses.

A couple of extended family members didn’t notice the replacement and just displayed them as they normally would, though a few people did have their doubts. Someone let the OP’s mother know that the picture was “funny” which immediately infuriated her, as she thought that they were talking about the original photo of them sitting on a picnic blanket with an Easter basket.

Image credits: Odd Wellies (not the actual image)

Image credits: u/daisydelo

Finally, the author’s aunt sent the photo to the family group chat, saying “this isn’t you, is it?” The secret was out and the teen’s beloved mother was furious at her for embarrassing the family with her joke cards. The 18-year-old argued back and said that she’s confused as to why she’s upset when, judging by their own words, being left out of the family photo is not a big deal.

Image credits: u/daisydelo

The woman said that the OP is mocking her and her stepfather by having “cross-dressers” in the photo, and the teen replied by saying that she only wanted to have a photo with her “close” family, just like her stepfather did. The argument wasn’t settled and the mother told the 18-year-old to leave so she went back to college.

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