Sunday, the 24th, will be my Mother's birthday. Had she lived, she would have been 95. She was 44 when I was born. She died in July 1966, when I was 15. She would have turned over in her grave had she known that I had ever been a JW.
Her first contact with the JWs was when I was still in the womb. The JW man at the door was trying to tell my Mom that her baby - me - would not be a human soul until being born and taking the 'breath of life.' My Mom scolded the JW, and she pointed to me as I kicked at that moment, and asked the JW man that if what was in her was not a living soul, that what in the hell was it? (me ) JWs at that time taught that until the unborn baby takes the breath of life, it is not truly a human in God's eyes. Miscarried babies, according to JWs, have no resurrection hope.
Oddly enough, after my sister was born, my Mom's uterus tore loose, and the doctors tied it to her backbone. They told her not to have anymore children, or it would kill her. She got pregnant 3 years later, and had a miscarriage. The doctors told her to denifitely have a Hysterectomy, but she refused. Then 3 years later, in 1951, I was in the cooker.
The doctors at March Air Force Base hospital, in Riverside County, California told her to abort. They said that my birth would kill her. She refused, saying that the life of her child was far more important than her own. She said that she would rather die than kill her unborn baby. I am very glad that she was pro-life.
It has been 36 years since her death, so I am long past any grieving. My Mom was a strong, well educated, and progressive thinker. She spoke French fluently. She fought off my Dad and Grandmother's racial bigotry. She talked with us kids, reasoned, listened, and was my best friend in addition to being my mother.
I learned about some of her mistakes in life ... and this actually did not bother me, because she was not self-righteous ... but knowing she was human, well, it eased my own mind a lot. She made me feel that she was proud of me and had confidence in me ... so if I get to meet her again in heaven ... I hope that she is not too pissed about my JW life.
I wish she was alive now, so that I could at least tell her that I love her ... and that I am proud to have her as my Mom. Happy 95th Birthday - Mom!