When I was pregnant with my second child, my mother-in-law, who was a JW was visiting for 17 days. Why 17 days I never understood. She told me that I should not be having children in this system and all the other insane ramblings that you have put up with. I was not a witness at the time and I cursed her up one side and down the other. Told her she had her kids and I was going to have mine. She didn't mention it again for the time she stayed with me because of my tearing into her. But I kept receiving books and letters of why it was wrong to be pregnant. And right. Was I suppose to have an abortion or was I to stop having sex with my husband?
After not being back at the King dumbhall for 10 years, I noticed that the ones that were going to wait until the new system had children. What happened there? I watched the kids and was horrified at how they acted, subdued, depressed, frightened. I felt fortunate that my children and I attended for only 5 years and then left. Of course there is the residual aftermath of having been involved for those years. And even before I was baptized, I didn't celebrate holidays or birthdays. You see, I was studying for 17 years off and on.
I came up with a way to celebrate at other times. I called it "Love Days." 6 times a year I would decorate with a theme and buy presents and put up signs in the house that a Love Day was on the way. They always got excited about these. Love Day always took a weekend of total involvement with the family. But even with that, there is the feeling of not being part of society and it is hard for them, and me, to celebrate the holidays. I am truly sorry that I got them involved in this religion, but so thankful that I rebelled thru most of it in that we joined the YMCA, all went to college including me at age 46 and we all graduated.
My two oldest children celebrate holidays and one believes there is a God but who is it and one believes that there is no God. My youngest was back at the King dumbhall for 7 months and has left for good. I am happy that I started going back to see what was going on so that I could expose them for what they are. In showing my son the UN letter and talking about the changing blood issue, and having him read the posts here, he finally said, "If the witness are the true religion, I don't want to live forever with them because I want to be happy and not depressed forever.
I guess this was a bit off of the subject but had to get that out.
Thanks
JJ