Cha Ching - thanks for taking the time to share your advice. I am actually a wife, and have not been in over a year. Yes, the update I got after the May WT study comments on sex abuse almost made me physically ill. It's hard. Unfortunately my husband knows quite a bit of the injustice/nonsense but is not phased by it. If theres not an explanation, I get the standard responses that Jehovah will take care of it or the light will get brighter. We can no longer discuss religion in its entirety in order to preserve our marriage. I am/will focus exactly on what you said as far as having fun together. When hes not around jw's I feel like hes a different person. This is all I can do now, and show love. Cause all the religion does is cause me anger and hatred.
As far as what woke me up. I was baptized very young. As a teen I never thought it was the one true religion. I never accepted the GB had authority over me BUT it was all I knew and I thought that it was a good way of life. After 'sinning' i was reproved and later married/d'fd young. This had a wierd effect on me. All I wanted to do was come back. I went SUPER strict.Even telling my new husband that he should throw out a brand named sweater because it was representing satan's world with its logo! Omg, what a cult mindset. I guess I just wanted my life back and I wanted to do right. In my elders meeting I was told the Angel's had already disfellowshipped me in heaven. It was devestating and I became reinstated within a year. I now blame myself for my husband getting so back into it. 10 years later I started studying the bible hard because after motherhood the stance on blood pissed me off and I wondered what else could be wrong. My lingering doubts as far back as the ridiculous bunker video were coming to a head. By looking at all different sources, I realized other religious arguments were just as reasonable and/or ridiculous and the GB had nothing special. And in studying the bible extra hard with the the help of jwfacts, I completely stopped and ended up an atheist. Which I'm happy with.
I hope one day I can meet another exjw in person and make some true friends. Thank you for the reminder to keep writing, keep living, singing, dancing, exercising, traveling,hobbying. I love to sing and write music about my experiences but sometimes it's hard to get off the couch when I feel so low.
I'm so happy your whole family got out, what an amazing gift. Hope you have a great day!