Walking away from blood does not make you a bad person. It makes you a person who finally decided to stop bleeding for people who wouldn’t even offer a bandage.
Some family members are toxic. Some are abusive. Some are so locked into their own pain that they cannot see the damage they leave in their wake. And loving them from a distance—or cutting ties entirely—is not a failure. It is survival. Blood and Water
It means the opposite of how we use it today. It means the bonds we choose —the covenants we make with friends, lovers, and found family—are actually stronger than the biological ties we were born into. Walking away from blood does not make you a bad person
Because sometimes, blood is exactly what holds you underwater. And sometimes, water is what saves your life. Let’s be honest. Family is complicated. The same people who taught you how to ride a bike might also be the ones who know exactly which buttons to push to make you feel small. The holidays that look like a Norman Rockwell painting from the outside can feel like a war zone behind closed doors. Some are abusive
One might try to convince you that you owe it everything. The other will remind you that love is not an obligation—it is a daily, living choice.
You are allowed to close the door. You are allowed to grieve the relationship you wished for while still protecting yourself from the one you actually have. Interestingly, the full original quote is thought to be: “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.”
And you can absolutely, without guilt, pour your energy into the water that chose you back.