Hi
My name is Michelle and from the age of 3 I was brought up one of JW. My parents became witnesses whilst in Germany when my father was stationed there with the British army. We then came back to England where I lived in Darwen, Lancashire, and attended Darwen, Bolton and Blackburn congregations over the next 18 years. I became a pioneer at 16 upon leaving school despite opposition from my teachers who all felt that I should stop on at school. I was the "model" witness child and teenager, with several appearances on the Circuit and District assembly platforms and with the CO and DO visits. Got married at 17 to another much older witness, had two children by the age of 20. Then at 23 decided that I could no longer live with my husband and left him. Then it went downhill. I was almost immediately disfellowshipped at 23 and from then to now ( I am now 44) my parents and sister and extended family did not speak to me. My father has had a chequered past within the witnesses in that he was convicted of making obscene phone calls to random women in the 80s and also of following women randomly in the car. There was also voyeuristic child abuse involving myself, of which if it had been done now, would have warranted prosecution and adding to the sex offenders register. Of course it was all covered up and I was encourage to "forgive and forget" and to get married, which I duly did.
I went on to have a further five children, of which my parents refuse to speak to or acknowledge and they would not attend my second wedding.
Anyway the opinions I am looking for are on my contemplation of writing to my parents. I don't expect a reply, this is for me. I never got the chance to say how disappointed, let down and hypocritical I think my parents are, especially my mother. How can a mother tolerate a man, whom she then chooses over her own child to do what he did.
I know it will not lead to anything, but it will make me feel better.
Thoughts welcome and thanks if you have got this far!! Plus anyone from the sunny North West of the uk????/
Michelle :)