It was actually going to go down as a really good family holiday celebration until the very end- grandma Meme always gives the gift of money and one of my niece’s discovered that hers was missing. As everyone frantically searched the area she knew she had left it I went to Lynn, held out my hand and told her to give me hers. Of course she denied she took her cousin’s and complained that she now had no gift, my gut (and 12 years of experience) told me that my hunch was correct- but there is still always that shade of doubt, right?! and the damage was done. The cousin swore there was more money taken, my sister, whose daughter it was and who had opened her home for the celebration, felt violated. Again....and the rest of the night was tense- not only in the immediate family but in my relationship with my sister. Reminded once again of the insidiousness of the effects of early trauma. ☹️
