As each instance of shunning happens to me, it seems even more ridiculous than the last.
This weekend I took our kids to the park - wife opted out, understandably - and we let our daughter call my parents to inform them we'd be there. This was my first time in the presence of my parents since our DF announcement two weeks ago.
My mom and dad were 10-20 feet away much of the time and yet they never said a greeting or.. well anything. At one point my daughter, who is aware of the shunning, mistakenly thought my mom called my name and shouted excitedly, "Mawmaw, were you talking to Daddy??" My mom just shook her head no and looked away. In all seriousness, I chuckled out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of the whole situation and wondered what others at the park must've been thinking. Kinda caught me off guard. It's so damn silly, my eight year old realizes how petty and stupid this whole shunning thing is.
But I feel bad for my mom, too, because as she was leaving she whispered to my little girl to 'give her daddy a big hug for Mawmaw.' She stands a few feet away and she communicates love via my daughter. This doesn't anger me at my mom, it angers me at this cult. Mom's not heartless, her mind has been stolen.
She's very emotional and clearly suffering from this, maybe more than we are as a family. And yet she's bound by the rules and regulations of a cult while my family and I are learning to enjoy freedom from controlled thinking. Right now I think I feel more sorry for her than for my kids.
How about you guys? Do you feel sorry for specific family members who abide by the rules of shunning?