So it's been a little over a year since I left and by now people are starting to realize I have no intention of going back. My mother-in-law has begun shunning my wife. Her and her mom used to talk on the phone more regularly back in the beginning of 2011. But since we have been going on "apostafests" with other ex JW family members, well now her mother doesn't speak to her. Her mother also told us she decided to leave websites like Facebook. Since the watchtower is coming up with information lately about the dangers of social networks and constant reminders about how the sheep are no part of this world, we figured she was just following orders. Several months later, my wife and I went on vacation with the dark side of the family: the apostate side and while we were staying at their house, we found out my mother-in-law still has a facebook. She just blocked us and told us she deleted her acoount. She's not the only one...today I learned of two others who have "unfriended" us on that site. But really, I don't care cause it's a dumb website that means nothing in the end but still, it shows how pathetic their reactions are to people who leave the cult.
Another person that is partially shunning me right now is a person that once used to be my best friend. He recently got baptized for the sole purpose of marrying a baptized girl and ever since I questioned his motives for the baptism, he has stopped talking to me. We usually talked every other week, but now it's been about two or two and a half months since we last spoke. I think he is seriously regretting inviting me to the wedding and is probably trying to think of a way to uninvite me...especially since I emailed him some history on the watchtower and some of their secrets swept under the rug along with the lies to cover them. My mother used to call once a week and now she can go almost a month without calling. She still picks up when I call though.
But I feel a steady separation and a gap that keeps growing between me and my parents and some of my friends. But it's ok cause I have my wife, her ex JW cousin and a whole family of ex JWs up in Canada that are always willing to hang out with us and listen and talk about these experiences we share in common...not to mention some friends we have made here on JWN and have already met in person. By the way, our recent stay at our Canadian family's house was a liberating, happy and just plain awesome experience! And to think, my wife and I could get disfellowshipped for such experience. We were miserable while we were in so if disfellowshipping is the price to pay for happiness, well then it's definitely worth it!