Re: Families that don't agree
My adopted parents (aunt & uncle) have long passed, so no issues there. They weren't active church goers and didn't really talk about spirituality unless they were shaming me for something I'd done (situational faith). They did try to discourage me from anything that resembled what my father was into (LHP) - music, D&D, etc.
I learned much of what I know from my father. I was raised believing he was my uncle until I was 20 - but he was my favorite uncle and we were very close. However, I didn't practice anything since it was such taboo in the rest of the family.
Recently, I reconnected with my father's side of the family, who are all devout Seventh Day Adventists - so I have not let my beliefs be known to them. Actually, I'm only now starting to peek out of the closet with my immediate family - I openly practice divination at home. My wife, although raised Methodist, is pretty tolerant of alternative beliefs - she loves my shamanic friend & mentor. She doesn't believe in "hocus pocus," but is respectful nonetheless. Well...she chuckles at me, but that's because we've been married for 20 years.
I've waited this long to open up because, really, I wanted to be sure this is the path for me before I claimed a new interest or belief. Now that I'm sure of myself, we'll be having some conversations about it at home at least - I wouldn't want to hide it from my wife and kids. My adopted daughter (18) already knows and is interested in the path herself. The others think dad's just on one of his tangents and shrug it off like their mom.
My adopted parents (aunt & uncle) have long passed, so no issues there. They weren't active church goers and didn't really talk about spirituality unless they were shaming me for something I'd done (situational faith). They did try to discourage me from anything that resembled what my father was into (LHP) - music, D&D, etc.
I learned much of what I know from my father. I was raised believing he was my uncle until I was 20 - but he was my favorite uncle and we were very close. However, I didn't practice anything since it was such taboo in the rest of the family.
Recently, I reconnected with my father's side of the family, who are all devout Seventh Day Adventists - so I have not let my beliefs be known to them. Actually, I'm only now starting to peek out of the closet with my immediate family - I openly practice divination at home. My wife, although raised Methodist, is pretty tolerant of alternative beliefs - she loves my shamanic friend & mentor. She doesn't believe in "hocus pocus," but is respectful nonetheless. Well...she chuckles at me, but that's because we've been married for 20 years.
I've waited this long to open up because, really, I wanted to be sure this is the path for me before I claimed a new interest or belief. Now that I'm sure of myself, we'll be having some conversations about it at home at least - I wouldn't want to hide it from my wife and kids. My adopted daughter (18) already knows and is interested in the path herself. The others think dad's just on one of his tangents and shrug it off like their mom.
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