They take advantage of our good nature. They talk with us when they need us, when it makes them feel good - and then when they get a zealous JW bee in their butt - they dump us again and need to cut back on association with us.

I tired of it much quicker than you have, and basically shun my family now. It's rough, but it's even rougher to allow them to keep jerking us around like that. You'd feel like everything was going well and suddenly they pull the rug out from under you. But the fact is they only have that power if we LET them have it.

I had to just cut them off, rather than keep letting them affect me. Probably couldn't do that if it was my child though...I don't know. But, it's had an unexpected effect...I think they miss the power, and so they keep reaching out to me in non-combative ways. But I still don't trust them or their motives in doing so, so by and large I just ignore their contact.

Peter: This is how a patriot dresses Lois. Boy I never knew it would feel this good to love my country. It's like loving God or a step-parent, you never really feel them love you back but that's okay cause they got other stuff going on and you understand.