My Wedding Photos are. . .

leavingwt

. . . chock full of Jehovah's Witnesses. With the exception of my wife and my best man, they're all JWs.

JWs who probably despise me.

It makes looking at the photos a bag of mixed emotions. It was a pretty big event in my life and now those relationships are history!

Anyone else have photos like this? How do they make you feel?

PS: Tomorrow is our 10th wedding anniversary. My wife deserves some type of award for being by my side during my exit from the cult. She is strong, intelligent and continues to impress me with each new day.

Mad Sweeney

Congratulations and happy anniversary!

I haven't looked at my wedding pictures in awhile. I am sure to find a good mixture of still-JWs, ex-JWs, and dead people by now, since I've been married more than twenty years now. I think I'll do that this evening.

talesin

First off, what a lovely tribute to your wife! :D

Yes, I was looking at my wedding pictures not too long ago, and it is sad ... I had recently been DF'd, so only my immediate family attended the 'celebration',,, no friends of ours (that would have offended my parents),,, and it was very low-key and much SADNESS exhibited by my parents and (uggh, I hate to say the word) my 'brother'. In short, we were robbed of what should have been an exuberant, crazily happy day! Thanks, Jehovah, for nothing.

and on a MUCH happier note ...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, leaving!!!

and many more....

tal

undercover

Congrats on the anniversary!

Our wedding was a JW wedding. Fortunately it wasn't in a KH so I can think back about the location with fond memories...but the people, not so much. Mostly JWs...a few "worldly" relatives. But all those so-called "friends" are no longer real friends. Truth be told, most of em I don't miss. The bridesmaids and groomsmen, those were close friends who are no longer close. They've distanced themselves from us because we're inactive and don't respond to calls to return to the KH.

There may be a little meloncholoy looking at those old pics, but look at this way... you're free of the cult and now you can enjoy your marriage and family without all the forced friends and expectations that kept you stressed and unhappy.

dgp

Your being sad is pretty understandable and human. It's unfortunate that you were born in a group that makes people pay such a price if they choose to be themselves. I think you should never forget that you are who you are and where you are because you saw the truth. These people are in the wrong. Two wrongs wouldn't make it right.

You have lovely children and they stand much better chances because of you and your wife's decision.

Happy anniversary!

Dagney

I have albums and albums with pictures full of pictures of former friends. Mixed emotions are the words exactly. I know the pics show good times, but they don't feel so good anymore. It is a constant reminder of how they view me now, and as I have built a wall around my feelings in order to survive this ordeal, I'm afraid I've lost feeling. I worry about that.

It's a daily mind game. Example: Yesterday I "thought" I received an email from a former friend, elder's wife, closer than close. First I thought it was spam maybe because we haven't had contact in 4 years. When I opened the email it was a picture of a new baby of a mutual "friend." I replied "Beautiful! Look at all that hair!" and I received a popup box saying I was "BCC. Did I really want to reply?" Again at work, busy with audit, I was like "huh? what?" Turns out, the email was from another "friend", "brother" who was sending the pic to the elder's wife, AND BCC ME!!!! WTF???? (sorry) Again, haven't seen or heard from him in maybe 4-5 years, but I'm still in the loop???? But not really???? I'm a BCC????

It just messes with your head constantly. It's a weird time. I was wondering if others on the board are receiving more contact with their former friends than usual.

LWT, congratulations on your exit and success, and happy family life. I appeciate your thoughtful posts. Happy Anniversary!!!

Robdar

Congratualtions on your 10th anniversary.

OnTheWayOut

I have video of my JW Kingdom Hall wedding. Why in the world would I want to watch that now? UGH!!

It's a sad reminder that we were caught in the web and my wife still is.

Edited to add: CONGRATS.

PSacramento

Congrats on the anniversary :)

This year my wife and I celebrated our 11th and, much like you my dear friend, she was a rock, my strenght, in regards to dealing with the JW issue.

While I was never converted and had to leave like you ( a feat that you should be very proud of), she was my source of love and strength in my way to the truth about the JW's.

Love is awesome, isn't it?

Nickolas

I refuse to look at my wedding photos, but only because I look like a complete dork. It was 1973 and the in thing at the time was to dress up for your wedding like you'd never do otherwise. I had long hair, parted in the middle, muttonchop sideburns that joined into a moustache, a frilly blouse a la Freddie Mercury, platform heels and an impossible purplish, rented tux. It's like an episode out of Twilight Zone. Not a JW in sight, though, although a few of them would become JWs a year later. I'd burn the lot if I could and keep only the post-wedding photos in which I'm wearing a tie-dyed undershirt and frayed bluejeans shorts. Still weird, but not so barf-worthy.

Congrats on your 10th, Donny. May you have many, many more.

My Wedding Photos are. . .

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