This week my dad and my brother celebrated in my brothers house their birthday (they were born almost on the same date...). None of my family is a JW.
I shortly called my brother on that morning and asked if I can come over. He said OK, so I came to his house, told them Iam learning to celebrate birthdays again and gave them a bottle of good wine for my brother and a big bottle of good honey for my dad (he is sick). My dad asked without ridicule "Whats new? any new doctrines?" So I told him: "No new doctrins anymore, Iam leaving JWs".
They were very nice, asking questions about my JW wife, if our marriage is OK and so.... So it was after 18 years for the first time I celebrated birthday within my family. It took some courage to do it - because I really felt like an idiot for the first 15 minutes - after many years zealously defending watchtower doctrines admiting I was wrong ... But the feeling after was great, my dad is old and very sick, I am happy he knows what the situation with me is now.
Albert
After 18 years in JWs I