I wanted to share with people my story about the Witnesses. When I was five my mother had been searching for a new religion. She was brought up Catholic and didn't understand the church. Anyhow one day the witnesses came knocking at the door with all the answers for her and the family. This was 1965. Hence forth our journey began.
Through the years my father kind of went along with it but never committed to the JW religion. The rest of us (five kids) were in a gray area as Mom didn't push to much. I do remembering being at the Hall and not knowing any better thought that this religion was on the right path. I always felt different from all the other kids in school as we had nothing to talk about with holidays and had to just stand for the pledge to the flag every morning. Right away that made us stick out as strange. After a few years us kids just did the pledge because we wanted to blend in with everyone else.
I remember as a teen my brother wanted to go in the army and Mom tried to get him to not do it because of her faith. She witnessed whenever and wherever she could. Boy if these people just knew how hard it is for there "worldly kids" to live with all of these things. We always grew up different from other kids. Our family really never bonded like a family would, because of the mixed faith in our family. I am a middle child and my older brother claims that Moms faith wrecked his childhood all together. I don't totally agree with that but I know we could have been closer if it wasnt for the witnesses.
I remember in 1993 when Moms Mom passed. The funeral was held in the funeral home instead of church. I always felt Mom thought she would burst into flames for walking into a church. Grandmom was Catholic. I remember Mom looking at the priest saying, "I have been a Jehovah wittness for 35 years! Grandmom asked me before she died, to bury Mom Catholic when she passes. I said I would do what I could.
Skip to year 1999. My partner (I am gay) had an aunt who died and just asked for her relatives to have one mass said for her each year. My friend went to a church that he delivered at. (he is UPS). I wanted to be able to have communion but didn't know how to go about it and always felt that I was a religious person but had no background in any church of any kind, exept what I knew about the JW's. I started taking lessions and found a home in the church. I sing in the choir and canter there.
When December 9th, 2005 came about my mother passed away. I am glad she is out of her pain and glad to finally say goodbye to the Jehovah witnesses. They are now in the past. I know that God loves them as he loves all of his people. No one is in his bad eye for being another kind of faith. God is love and that is love for all.
Moms funeral was held on the 13th of December in my Catholic church. My priest knew all about her and the witnesses but said that we bury the dead, not just Catholic dead. We had the full choir and I sang two of her songs. It was the last gift I could give her or my Grandmom. I feel that if Mom was right she is asleep, If I am right she lives! I just wanted to tell my witness story.