I Don’t Like Aunt Karen

Keep in mind y’all this is my opinion, but Aunt Karen loves to act like she’s the voice of reason, swooping in when there’s a situation, but where was she when it really mattered? Ever since this whole situation with Tophia’s brother, she’s been trying to position herself as the point of contact, the one “keeping in touch” with Tophia, the one “keeping us updated.” But let’s be honest—she’s not doing this out of genuine concern. She’s doing it because she wants to look like the hero.

And the thing is, she always hides behind that excuse: “I can’t help someone who won’t help themselves.” Especially when it came to the situation with them getting kicked out of the motel. On the surface, that sounds reasonable. You can’t force someone to change if they’re unwilling. But let’s not pretend that’s always a valid reason to stand back and do nothing. People in crisis don’t always have the clarity or resources to pull themselves up alone. Sometimes, real help isn’t just about offering advice and waiting for them to “take it”—it’s about stepping in when they can’t, about being consistent even when they resist.

And let’s not ignore the contradiction here. If she really believes that, why is she so involved now? If Tophia was beyond help before, why is she suddenly worth “saving” now that there’s attention on the situation? The truth is, Aunt Karen doesn’t actually care about whether someone helps themselves first—she cares about how she looks helping them. When there was no audience, no social reward, she didn’t step in.