My mother is visiting us again tomorrow, only 5 weeks since her last visit. Things seem to be going pretty well with her, and the kids are enjoying having Grandma back in our routine. She is retiring at the end of May (age 65), so she promises that this is going to mean more time with family.
As I continue to reconnect with her, we are enjoying creating new memories. The focus of her visits, are to have quality time with the kids.
She invariably brings up some JW topic or question, and she will probably ask me about my new BS that just started. Since my elderette, Miss K, was scheduled to come tomorrow, that will be postponed again. (bummer!) Mom may also have magazines for me.
I am considering mentioning to her that we have stopped attending the neighborhood Baptist church. It was not for this reason, but I was thnking of mentioning that one thing that bothered us about their practices, was the way they passed out pledge slips and asked us to commit to a set monthly donation. This did actually happen, as it did at the bigger Baptist church we attended for the 2 years prior to our leaving there. It seems that the bigger the church, the more they beg for money.
Since I'm pretty sure she has not heard anything like this coming down from the GB at her KH yet, where they will be asking members to make commitments for monthly monetary donations, I'm hoping it will just plant a seed. When she hears how these churches are so boldly asking for money (constantly), she might protest (or just think to herself) how the JW's are different in that way. I won't start a debate, but make it more of an offhanded comment. I might quote scripture along with is, as I share with her our continued quest in finding truth.
As we continue to heal our relationship and rebuild bonds with my family, I don't want to be antagonistic. If she asks me about my BS sessions with Miss K, I will probably mention to her that they are raising more questions, than answers for me. I know that my real questions are way too hard for my mom to handle.
Instead of grabbing any opportunity to criticize the JW's, I plan to focus on how much fun I had talking with my sister the other night, and mocking and heckling the adults in the kids' music production. Family bonds are like nothing else, and it was so refreshing to be with my sister, without her judge and ruler along (her husband, who hates kid's stage productions... and I think he really just hates kids, except to be used as unpaid slave labor.. No, I don't have any bitterness toward him! Hahaha).