Non-JW Family

Wordly Andre

Growing up, we were only allowed to associate with our JW side of the family, over the past 10+ years I have been getting closer to my "worldly family' All I have to say is Man I didn't know I had such loving, normal family. It was a little too late when I started to visit my grandfather, he died shortly after my attempts to connect. However, It was really weird at first, getting to know cousins, aunts and uncles who I've always had such limited contact with, I feel really pissed off about it, I have such a great family that I missed out on, I am now writing once a week to my uncle who is in Iraq, and trying to keep contact with everyone, and even meet some cousins who I never met before, but I feel like someone who arrived late to the party.

Does anyone else have the same kind of story?

R.F.

I feel you there.

I have alot of nonJW family I haven't gotten close to at all. Most of my cousins are my age and live only a couple of hours away. They are all very close to one another, but I feel like an outsider. Im hoping to build some close relationships with them now.

But just give it time. I'm sure they won't make you feel you are an outcast. You can be close to them all in time.

R.F.

Gopher

Man I didn't know I had such loving, normal family.

This is true in my case too. All I knew was that there were a bunch of people out there who didn't have "the truth".

When I finally had the chance to go to a family reunion, it was great! I met extended family, who all knew my mom and grandma - but I never even had the chance to know them till now. And I'm going back to another such reunion this summer with my sister (also ex-JW like me).

I feel more connected to my past after having met these relatives. Getting to know them was one of the best parts of post-JW normalizing.

free2think

I had a similar experience to yours. We didn't have much, if any, relationship with family on either my mother or fathers side. I feel like i really missed out so much, now it feels like it's too late with some of my cousins, like im not in the club, they all know each other but i don't even know what some of them even look like. It makes me so mad that i missed out on so much, especially as during my childhood I was so lonely.

Now like you i am trying to re connect with family members, and it's been really nice getting to know them.

Gopher

Free2think -

now it feels like it's too late with some of my cousins, like im not in the club, they all know each other but i don't even know what some of them even look like

Maybe it isn't too late. If they live close enough and you can get hold of them (or some of the ones you know who know them), have them over for FOOD and DRINK. Hardly anyone says no to free food.

If you do this a couple of times, they may come to realizethat they're now in YOUR club -- and maybe you'll get invited back. I know it's hard to make up for lost time, but you never know until you try.

Wordly Andre

A couple of my cousins I had to make clear with them that I wasn't a JW, I think they were afriad of me like if I was some Amway salesman.

ex-nj-jw

Yeah, my dad is one of 9 and my mom one of 13. We only associated with 1 uncle and his wife, 3 kids because they were JW's.

I feel like I missed out on so much, not having such a large family around to grow up with. We visited for one week in the summer and that was it. Not much time to build relationships.

nj

Frank75

Does anyone else have the same kind of story?

Sure do!

Just came back from a week of visiting my extended non JW family on the West coast of Canada. I sure missed out on the best side of the family all of these years.

Lots of unconditional love there and even enough to go around for us. It was such a relief and change from the cold shoulder and condemnation from my JW relatives. Most of whom have never even enquired why we left the religion! Too scared to! Some faith they have.

The "worldly" relatives all felt so powerless over the years trying to maintain contact with my parents and one aunt who was a zealot. Always biting their tongues knowing that any outspokenness about the JW cult would be met with being totally cut off.

We will be seeing a lot more of them!

After hearing about how all of my family have treated us, any doubt about the JW's being a cult has totally disappeared!

What a Witness against God these false Christ's are!

Frank75

Vernon Williams

My extended family are not JWs. My wife's the same. We missed out on so much focusing on the "relationships" in the Org. What a missed opportunnity! Our families are wonderful and interesting and supportive: all that is, mostly, a lost cause for us...too late.

Connect and build with what you have in the time left....

Wishing you the best,

V

Non-JW Family

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