Being close to "worldly" relatives

by Odrade 1 Replies latest jw friends

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  Odrade

  My mom said something to me tonight that has me thinking. I have a lovely cousin about 7-8 years older than I. We look like sisters, and she has a wonderful, engaging personality. She is also smart, articulate, loyal and very down-to-earth. I recently saw her for a couple hours. It had been two years since the last time I saw her, and before that it was more than 10 years.

  So tonight, my loyal JW mother told me, "It's a shame you two weren't closer in age, you probably would have been really close."

  My first thought was that we never would have been close even if we had been born the same day and lived next door to each other, because she was "worldly." I then also thought that if I hadn't been raised as JW we probably would have been close despite the age difference.

  Did any of you who were raised in a strict hard-line witness family maintain close ties with "worldly" cousins, aunts, uncles, etc? Or were the relationships largely limited as in my family?

  Odrade
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  bikerchic

  I grew up with a pretty laidback Mom. She was the JW, my Dad wasn't and we could not only associate with our cousins but also have worldly friends. Honestly I think if they would have been strict like your parents I would have really rebelled and left the b'org sooner, like waaaaaaay sooner. Maybe it wasn't such a good thing, I don't know.

  I was the same kind of parent with my kids. I saw that many of their worldly friends were nicer than JW friends. One thing I know is that they still have contact with their worldly friends and NONE of their JW friends even their cousin who are JW's don't contact them. My kids are all out of the b'org, yeah for my kids!

  I still have close relationships with my "worldly" friends and cousins, but recently my closest JW friend of 30+ years marked me as an unapproved associate, good grief!
  
  
  I hope the road ahead of you is smooth and you don't have too many bumps. It always hurts and more when it's from family that is so blinded by b'organization policies, it sucks!

  Hugs!

  Kate