My mum (who's never been a Witness) just phoned me up. She says my aunt (my mum's sister) wants to get back into the truth. My aunt stopped going to meetings a couple of years ago. She separated from her husband and she left all her Witness books behind when she left the house at the separation. I also suspect that the Panorama child abuse programme a few years ago might have prompted her to cool on the Witnesses because she was very angry about that programme and she told me so at the time.
So anyway the reason my mum phoned me up is that my aunt wants to know if I can give her the latest study books.
My mum laughed and said, "well she would have to make changes in her life if she wants to get back into the truth, wouldn't she!" I'm not sure what my mum meant by that exactly so I just said mmm okay - not my business. Anyway my mum says she will come over tomorrow and we will visit my aunt together and I will take some of the new books. In particular I am supposed to bring any JW books that talk about suicide. This may be because my aunt has a friend whose son killed himself. I don't think any of the books talk about suicide. It would have to be a Watchtower but I don't think I will take bound volumes over.
So I am a bit conflicted. I will give my aunt some books if she wants them, but I don't want to encourage her to go backto the Witnesses. My aunt is usually a very stong willed person, but she must be feeling quite vulnerable at the moment to be reachin out for the Witnesses again. As much as I don't want to encourage her, I can't imagine now would be a great time to discuss doubts about the Witnesses. I guess I should have done that a long time ago. Plus my family including my mum still think I am a committed JW. How do I backtrack on that all of a sudden? So what do I do? I would feel pretty rotten if I just gave her some Witness books and never told her what I really think about it.