My hiusband and I left the organization almost a year ago. Since then, I've thought many times of a friend who had DA'd herself about 4 years ago. A few weeks after she'd DA'd herself we passed in a bathroom at a local store. She smiled and said, very kindly, "I hope you're feeling better." I had been really sick with a chronic illness, and despite her touching words she couldn't penetrate the JW defenses. I didn't look at her, didn't talk to her...felt terrible about it, but felt that I had done what I had to do.
Since we left I've looked in the phone book but her number wasn't listed and I wasn't sure where she was living. But last night I found her phone number on the internet. I called her today and it was so amazing. We only had a few minutes to talk - I was on my way to work, she was going out of town for the weekend - but we were practically in tears we were so glad to be able to reach each other and now we have this beautiful chance to have a true friendship based on unconditional love, not judgements. I apologized to her for the horrible way I had treated her years before...she was so kind, understood it was just my JW brainwashing that had taken over. We're going to get together soon (we now have 3 other exJws we hang out with, amazing in such a little area as we live in!) and I'm going to introduce her to the other exJW we know. She hasn't had anyone to truly understand what she went through leaving, and I just thinking about how wonderful it was to hear her voice makes me want to cry.
The best part? When I got home from work today there was a message on my voice-mail. "This is xxx, and I just wanted you to know how happy I am that you called me. Please know that you will always have family in me. I hope we can be really good friends for a long, long, long, long time."
This is so beautiful...true love...not like anything in the JW org.
P.S. - Her life has been going about a million times better since she left! Funny how that eems to happen to everyone who leaves... ;-)
Just wanted to share my joy!!