THE ESTRANGED FAMILIES LIST (page 8)

DannyHaszard

Dedicated to my family members , nieces and nephew Lauren, Ashley and Kevin Haszard that have gone missing in the Jehovah's Witnesses.

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under74

I saw a testimonial thread bumped from Ian and thought of this one. I know there's a lot of new people on and thought I'd give this one another bump.

PaulJ

My dad and my youngest brother. Havent spoken to either of them for about 6 months or so.

damselfly

Ouch. Just when i think I'm okay this thread comes along to rip the scab off the wound.

Dad~ if bumps into me while out in public will exchange quick pleasantries and leaves quickly.

Mom~ I receive phone calls about every 3 months with family updates and occasionally KH gossip. The calls increase in frequency depending on urgent family matters.She always ends with "I love you"

I have a brother who always says hi while out in public even if in the company of other JW's and gives me a hug before leaving. He is also the only member of my family that will greet my partner. My other younger siblings get very excited when they see me out in public and one actually squeals with delight before running over for a bearhug. My remaining sibling refuses to make eye contact, if accidently meets my eyes there is hate shining from them.I no longer remember the sound of their voice.

My grandparents don't speak with me. My grandmother was "counseled" while I was attempting reinstatment for "exchanging looks" with me at the meetings. Her MS husband went to the elders and ratted her out for calling me to say she would lend me the car so I had a way to the meetings. The elders threatened her with disfellowshipping if she spoke to me again.

I haven't seen or spoken to anyone on my father's side of the family for 11 years now. I have one cousin who says hi if she sees me in public. The rest I haven't spoken to in 11 years as well.

I am not included in family gatherings, I am sent invitations to family weddings followed quickly by a call telling me that I am not welcome.

For all intents and purposes I am an orphan.

Dams

bavman

I too am a recovering Jehovah's Witness...lol. Seriously, I have lost all former friends and family inside the cult except one sister. I am pleased to say she and I see each other on occassion, in fact, I was just at her wedding a couple weeks ago. I do see my 10 year old son every other weekend. I have met up again with a few old former witness friends as well that I shunned since I was 15. That's a pretty cool thing. I have a few relatives who were never dubs but I really never clicked with them anyway so I don't have much interest in meeting up with them. The hard part is when my son mentions he has seen my parents or brothers or aunts or uncles, some visiting from out of state or country and of course I didn't get to see them. So, I am dead to them and they to me. I enjoy for now my son and I enjoy my sister. Besides that family is who I make it to be. I have many "family" members in that way.

under74

damselfly, sorry if my bumping the thread caused some pain. For me, although the thread is sad I also think it's important for everyone to know they aren't alone in missing family members. I bumped the thread because I knew that new people were around and it might be good for them and any lurkers to see so many here are in the same place as them.

Just remember that it's a long winding road healing.

damselfly

Thanks under74.

I agree that it's good to discuss these things, it just hit on a bad day for me. I''m ok now.

Dams

under74

I gotcha. Just wanted to make sure you were alright with everything

damselfly

I am, thanks. Today is going to be a good one and it should be a great weekend as well.

Dams

blondie

Did I answer this?

I have one sibling and spouse that have shunned us for the last 15 years or so during which time we were in good standing.

I have one sibling and spouse that shunned us while we had done nothing wrong and were in good standing, they wanted to remove any reminders of a bad childhood. So they shunned everyone in the family and moved away, both still in "good standing" though.

My father and mother, the author and enabler of the sexual abuse of me and all my siblings, try to keep in contact, to let me know there was no abuse and that we are all liars, although my father has confessed to the elders and was privately reproved. I shun them.

Otherwise, we are pretty much treated fairly decent by the active JWs we meet. If we were DA'd or DF'd that probably would change.

By the time we stopped attending, any family or "friends" we had in the WTS had made it clear directly or indirectly that they were not anybody we could trust or count on. People that we had helped, given money to, given a shoulder to cry on, etc.

Blondie

THE ESTRANGED FAMILIES LIST

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