It starts with a single text message: “Are you coming to the family dinner next week?” Your heart skips a beat; your mind floods with a thousand unspoken tensions. An offhand comment from a cousin, a passive-aggressive question from an aunt, your mother’s sigh that never quite hides her disappointment—it all waits for you. Family gatherings often promise comfort, love, and camaraderie. But let’s be honest: many times, what we get instead is conflict, emotional heaviness, and a dizzying sense of being pulled into roles we’ve long since outgrown.
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