Do You Miss Not Being With Your JW Family & Friends? (page 3)

berylblue

And no, I do not miss those "friends" whose hands were always out to take my gifts but who decided I was evil when I was disfellowshipped for smoking. With friends like that...

Gopher

I don't miss it. I can't imagine that being with them would be very relaxing or fun.

I have more fun with my ex-JW friends now. They're generally very understanding and non-judgmental.

It's weird though, that former JW friends pop up in my dreams now and then. My subconscious mind occasionally brings them back into my life at night.

Fortunately I never had any family in the JWs except a sister and her family who never shunned me. But I can imagine how hard it is for children getting shunned by parents or parents by children, it shows the cruelty and wickedness of the cult.

merfi

No one who chooses a nameless, faceless corporation over a living, breathing, memory-sharing human being do i want as a friend.

This sums it up for me. JW 'friends' of 15+ years ... *poof*

Screw 'em. I've found and adore a whole bunch of genuine, 'thick and thin' friends that mean the world to me. And I know they won't turn their backs on me for not believing as they do.

~merfi

bikerchic

Yes I do we always had great fun family time.

Madame Quixote

It's good to have friends and family of choice (rather than of birth), and some of them chose me, I think, rather than me choosing them.

I miss only the idea of a real, naturally affectionate family, the idea of good times with loved ones who are flesh and blood, the idea of normal, healthy relationships with them - something that never really was - so, no, I don't personally miss them.

Everytime I'm around them I find myself scandalized by their behaviours and bizarre attitudes, and have even considered calling social services for their treatment of children; so, no, don't miss them at all.

I just deeply regret that they can't be normal and still do care about them because of my normal childhood attachments and pathological need to please others. But spending a day with my mom's incessant, narcissitic ramblings is enough to remove all people-pleasing behaviours for at least the next 72 hours. I begin to dissociate as a result of her incessant yacking alone, like most of the people around her.

Mary

My family does not shun me.....it's not in their nature to be that judgemental (thank god).....as for my former friends at the Hall, yes, I miss them. They were good people and we had a lot of good times together. I received a pretty good welcome when I went to the Memorial this year. In a way, that makes it harder, because I know they don't understand why I left and I don't volunteer that information.

I miss them, but I simply could not consider "returning to the vomit" in order to re-gain their approval and/or affection.

delilah

To be quite honest, the friends I was closest with at the KH, have all left, with the exception of a few of the elderly ones who frequently ask about me, so I feel lucky there. I found out who my true friends were when I finally left, so the rest who I thought were friends, I don't miss at all. I have made some very good friends since leaving the "truth", and I still have contact with my parents and the rest of my family....just not as often, and sometimes I have to deal with their, "We just want you to come back to Jehovah..." comments.

Stealth453

I used to miss it, but not anymore.

Now I try to avoid the necessary gatherings, like funerals. Can't stand being around them.

ex-nj-jw

No. I don't miss them. I still speak with my 2 brothers that are still in and although I have a strained relationship with the parents, we still speak.

As for the friends, they obviously were not my friends!!!

nj

Do You Miss Not Being With Your JW Family & Friends?