@ ABibleStudent - thanks, good suggestions
@ moshe - I appreciate your input, replying embarrases me - I some ways have been a "good" extreme Witness, home schooling, not allowing worldly friends, doing all things the organizational way most of the time in the past
I actually have two teenage daughters at home, one will be a senior next year, she is baptized, which of course brings in a whole different set of problems, but I got her to return to school for some of her classes this year, that and her job have helped her tremendously to see another side to "worldly" people, it has been very good for her, she wants to go to college although is discouraged by some elders and her pioneer sister.
She also wants to date, however, she wants to date a Witness boy, of course this would be a no-no in the congregation for a girl who is loved by all, and I am torn because I would like to let her experience this normal act of dating, on the other hand, I sure don't want to promote a relationship with a young man who is governed by organizational policies and might only complicate my web even further.
I have already been actively involved in some of the suggestions given. I have been trying to talk a lot to my youngest daughter about her dreams. She is such a wonderful girl. She told me she wants to be an astronaut, she said, "I know it may seem childish, but it is one of the things I would like to do." I have been encouraging her a lot and insisting that it isn't a silly thing. This took me to a conversation with her that astronauts are usually people who were in the air force, she asked if she would have to kill people if she were in the air force .... she also has told me how she would like to marry a Marine :) .... of course I haven't shot these things down or tried to correct her like I would have a couple years ago, I feel so good when she answers from her heart ... sad really, I was so proud of my other children for towing the organizational line and giving the "spiritual" answers, now I am sick that I did that to them and the opposite makes me happy, that my child will think for herself. Of course, this is also what bothers my wife.
@ Scully - thank you, good advice
@ Paralipomenon - Why did my wife get baptized? Interesting question. Although she was raised a Witness, we started dating in high school, I started studying and got baptized before she did. She delayed her baptism for a number of years after that, mostly because she never felt good enough, she felt that she was too bad because of the double life as a youth and not worthy, she was well liked so most just assumed that she was already baptized. Feeling good enough to get baptized was a very big step for her.
