Same here. Brother's a complete trumplodyte. Unfriended him, too. He later complained about lost visibility, so I explained that I was tired of seeing all his racist, baseless, offensive memes and that unfriending was one way to dissociate myself from all that vitriol. Then it became all about his right to free speech and I had to point out that my actions in no way infringed on that.

Similar to your realizations: forgive & forget applies to those dealing with the zealots, not the zealots themselves. The zealots are free to engage in treachery because they are enshrouded in the holy mantle of forgiveness, whereas non-believers are sometimes limited to directing their eyes toward the 7th chakra and uttering the liberating incantation, "Whatever." Ebenezer Scrooge was lucky. He was only visited by 3 major assholes on 1 night, while many of us have them constantly launched at us, as if from a tennis ball cannon. But just because we're surrounded by assholes, doesn't mean we need to take shit.

Namaste

I just want to give you a big HUG!! Yes sometimes, sadly, family can be toxic. I have the same situation with my identical twin. I live on the west coast - LOVE IT. She has stayed on the east coast where we were born. c'est la vie

Course ya might want to rethink coming back to the U.S. until after trump or the gop are out of power. Just sayin'

They're your family, & as such, sharing their opinions with you is just sharing. By cutting them off, they have been polarised against you, & you can no longer help them understand why Trump is bad. This is why politics &-religion are such very tricky topics.

Though I, respectfully, disagree with your decision, I certainly admire you for your courage and honesty.
I do believe that if a friend or relative is toxic we can and should send them to hell. The part I don't agree with is to cut all communication just (only) because they are Trump supporters.
In my case, I have cut all ties with some members of my family and some friends because they are worst than Trump, but not because they voted for him or speak well of him.

Take care of you. Obviously, nobody else will. Good for you. Enjoy your life. Life is too long to fill it with morons.

I think forgiving to heal is such patent bullshit. Good for you.

I don't want be chum in the water for trolls, but I'm highly psychic. In fact, in Haiti, my mom used use ESP wake us up in the morning and my siblings and I communicated in ESP as much as by words, confusing people who observed us.

A week ago when I let my brother know by email that I no longer believed in god, a day later, I felt his shock and sorrow. Almost a bewilderment, like a lost child.

This surprised me, until I remembered that in our home growing up I was the stand-in for my mom, who was too busy running a radio station to pay much attention us. My siblings typically told me their problems and looked to me for comfort and support.

Then today, after I told my sister I was done with her, I was fine for about four hours. Then I was hit with her feelings of overwhelming sorrow and regret..sadness, horror, and shock..and realized she'd finally read the email. I am still riding it out, but it's reducing now.

I suppose she's getting used to the idea that she'll never see me again. In my case, that's GOOD..no more of her criticizing me and hanging up the phone rudely on me every time I call, but maybe she enjoyed the power she imagined she had over me with her cold disapproval of almost everything I did.

Good for you. It's about time you stood up to your siblings that don't agree with your thinking. I disowned my relatives that didn't show any interest in my life so why should I care about theirs. I'd rather pick and chose my friends then to be stuck with unloving relatives. You'll be better off.

If I was you, I would still be friends with them and bombard them with "stuff" that Donald has done or is doing. I would forever be asking them what they thought or how they felt about ie, Donald eating in a Trump restaurant, in a Trump hotel and they had to pay for it, or what they though that Donald has now put into law that it is ok to kill hibernating bears, etc, etc. I would be the devils advocate.

There is an old saying.....”we can choose our friends but are stuck with our relatives “. Just be true to your own beliefs and enjoy the friendship of like minded people!

Sometimes your heart and your emotions know your actions better than your mind, I can totally understand that.

Funny (not) how people always try to blame the other person instead of defend their stance when they know they are wrong.
I am so happy that you are flying free of their attacks and love your post! I can totally relate to #3 and am anxiously waiting to move out of this house. My very controlling older brother lives here and is constantly telling me what I need to change about myself. I have about a month before I can move and it feels like an anchor weighing me down to still be here. I look forward to being free too and am so glad you are! WTG!

Wow, what a story! Love the surprise ending!