Over the years I have made many friends online that are JW's.
When my doubts were such with the organization that I was full on posting here, little by little I withdrew from my JW friends online and in person. No explanation, I Have not responded to emails over time, and just let those friendships die down.
Out of respect.......I felt sneaky in my researching the organization and just was not sure where my thoughts and feelings were going to land.
Today, I unblocked someone on my messenger to chat with them. We caught up. I have never met him in person. His name is Paul. When I first met him online he was a good standing JW. He is from Australia. He has a brother that has spina bifida-confined to a wheelchair, who was baptised in a bathtub in his home, which, aftewards, they called me from OZ, like at 3am!!!, still wet from baptism and I got to welcome him as my new brother!
Anyway, Paul was DF for some time in our friendship, I still emailed him from time to time and caught up with him on msn messenger. I hated shunning, even as a JW I never understood what good it did. So, if you were my friend and DF I did not shun. I would encourage him to get reinstated ........we lived across the continents, friends that never met, unlikely that we ever would, but many times we ended our conversations........remember, we have a lunch date in paradise!!!! He eventually did get reinstated. His wifes family was featured in a WT magazine a few years ago.
Paradise~~~~~~It kept us going, gave us hope.
I can't stop crying right now, I miss so many. I am wondering if I should contact my old JW list and explain. The very thought of having total severing hurts alot. For all I know some could be out and I dont know it. There are some really good, loving people in the organization. Afterall, weren't we?
missing friends,
purps