A few times a year Lori and I get together with some friends, most of whom are ex-JWs. Four or five are faders, one is DAed for voting and I'm now DFed. (They loved that there was ex-JW terminology!) There will also be non-JW girlfriends like Lori, friends, kids there as well.
One of the times we seem to get together each year is New Year's Eve.
We always catch up on what's happening in each other's lives, and because I'm the only one really involved in the ex-JW community, they ask me to bring them up to speed on what's happening here. We also find out about what's happening with the JW friends that anyone is staying in touch with, family, etc., and we do a lot of reminiscing and laughing about what we believed at one time - which often shocks the non-JWs there. We don't seem that stupid to have believed some of those things!
We joked last night that each year there's a lot of the same stuff, and rather than seeing that as bad, we noted that it's probably good therapy for all of us. The liquor flows, people relax, and we get to talk about where we are in our post-JW life. Most are in their 20s and 30s, and like myself, essentially raised in the Witnesses, though they left as they became adults, and I left in my mid-40s. But because we have that same background, it's good to share things with people who understand where you're coming from.
Any of you do similar things? And, Happy New Year! We toasted it in with champagne, clinking glasses and all!
S4