If you grew up in TWI and left or tried to leave, how did your parents (who were in or currently in a splinter group) react to you as an adult leaving?
Well..I left it 3 times and went back..so I was kinda like the boy who cried wolf
when I finally did leave..it took longer to get it out of my head than the time I spent
physically in it!
They never talked about it too me after that except once my dad asked why I hitch-hiked
cross country.
If you grew up in TWI and left or tried to leave, how did your parents (who were in or currently in a splinter group) react to you as an adult leaving?
If you grew up in TWI and left or tried to leave, how did your parents (who were in or currently in a splinter group) react to you as an adult leaving?
My situation may not be exactly what you are looking for. Still, I think some of the same elements were involved.
I got into The Way as an adult. Then I got my brother into it. He eventually went Minuteman, WC of E and FLO.
About the same time, I got my parents involved and my mom became a twig leader. So here's where it gets sticky.
After being in FLO for about a year, I started to have some serious reservations about what was actually going on. But, how could I go back to my hometown and tell these people, whom I had gotten so totally immersed, that I might have made a big mistake?
Basically, I left in 2001. My parents (who sort of left three years ago) and I have still never talked about it. I've talked about it with my siblings, but never my parents. They "raised me in The Word" so I'm not sure what I should or shouldn't say to them because I don't want to freak them out. They may not be in TWI anymore, but they still have many of the same beliefs and mentality.
I waited till I was 18. I should have planned it better. My folks were never corps, but I can't tell the difference between them and the q-tip. They would work with leadership to find where I went etc etc etc. So I avoid them like I would rosie.
Now my in-laws are like what the previous poster wrote.
My parents never got involved, my little brother never very involved with the "real" TWI... we were initially witnessed to by followers of an "offshoot". My parents were always very cordial and, as their manner is, always found good in the people I revered and was involved with... they tolerated and feigned interest in what I was learning and those I was close to, but always wary and suspicious and very, very concerned. They never wanted to do anything to jeopardize our relationship as they saw what was happened with my ex's family (he totally cut them off after our wedding at leadership's "suggestion").
After the divorce and my leaving TWI, my Daddy paid for everyone to fly in for a family vacation, family photos and the whole she-bang..... my leaving TWI and the divorce was never mentioned or brought up, but it was obvious that it was the reason for this "celebration". To this day I am ever so thankful that they never once played the "I told you so" card or rubbed it in my face and I think their loving, silent, support for me, who I am and whatever decisions I made in my life .... along with their stellar examples of "what it is to truly live in love" is what kept our relationships so sweet and made it easier for me to leave both my ex and the group.... not that any of it was easy, mind you.
IMO, I have one friggin' awesome, loving family. I really put them through some sh!t. Not once did they get in my face and not once did I question their love and support for me.
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cheranne
Well..I left it 3 times and went back..so I was kinda like the boy who cried wolf
when I finally did leave..it took longer to get it out of my head than the time I spent
physically in it!
They never talked about it too me after that except once my dad asked why I hitch-hiked
cross country.
Nevermind.
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waysider
My situation may not be exactly what you are looking for. Still, I think some of the same elements were involved.
I got into The Way as an adult. Then I got my brother into it. He eventually went Minuteman, WC of E and FLO.
About the same time, I got my parents involved and my mom became a twig leader. So here's where it gets sticky.
After being in FLO for about a year, I started to have some serious reservations about what was actually going on. But, how could I go back to my hometown and tell these people, whom I had gotten so totally immersed, that I might have made a big mistake?
Very stressful, to say the least.
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Mister P-Mosh
Basically, I left in 2001. My parents (who sort of left three years ago) and I have still never talked about it. I've talked about it with my siblings, but never my parents. They "raised me in The Word" so I'm not sure what I should or shouldn't say to them because I don't want to freak them out. They may not be in TWI anymore, but they still have many of the same beliefs and mentality.
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Bolshevik
I waited till I was 18. I should have planned it better. My folks were never corps, but I can't tell the difference between them and the q-tip. They would work with leadership to find where I went etc etc etc. So I avoid them like I would rosie.
Now my in-laws are like what the previous poster wrote.
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Belle
My parents never got involved, my little brother never very involved with the "real" TWI... we were initially witnessed to by followers of an "offshoot". My parents were always very cordial and, as their manner is, always found good in the people I revered and was involved with... they tolerated and feigned interest in what I was learning and those I was close to, but always wary and suspicious and very, very concerned. They never wanted to do anything to jeopardize our relationship as they saw what was happened with my ex's family (he totally cut them off after our wedding at leadership's "suggestion").
After the divorce and my leaving TWI, my Daddy paid for everyone to fly in for a family vacation, family photos and the whole she-bang..... my leaving TWI and the divorce was never mentioned or brought up, but it was obvious that it was the reason for this "celebration". To this day I am ever so thankful that they never once played the "I told you so" card or rubbed it in my face and I think their loving, silent, support for me, who I am and whatever decisions I made in my life .... along with their stellar examples of "what it is to truly live in love" is what kept our relationships so sweet and made it easier for me to leave both my ex and the group.... not that any of it was easy, mind you.
IMO, I have one friggin' awesome, loving family. I really put them through some sh!t. Not once did they get in my face and not once did I question their love and support for me.
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