Posted by John W. Wirtanen [JohnWWirtanen] on April 06, 1999 at 11:36:40 {JK6FUAMFdMmCpMHrVMyIEn.OK4kK/E}:
I just cruised by the site and saw that it's been updated. I thought I'd check it out. Saw the Awake! publications dealing with strokes. My mother and sister suffered these and I was the primary caregiver for both from the time that I was 18 (when my mother had hers) until 43 (when I had to put my mother into a nursing home. My sister's stroke in early 1987 was more severe and I needed to put her into a nursing home in late 1988. So, I believe that having devoted most of my adult life caring for them and having spent most of my adult life being a Dub, that I have a good understanding of both subjects.
While the articles were medically correct and outlined the effects on victims and their families/friends accurate (brought back many sad memories), I really had to chuckle about this:
"Who else might lend support to caregivers? David and his family reached out to their spiritual family within the congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses for help with Victor: 'They responded to our need. Taking turns, they at times come and sleep at our place to attend to Victor throughout the night for us.'" February 8, 1998 Awake, "Coping With Its Effects"
(I thought after Victor's quote that there should have been the phrase: "This has been a paid political announcement".)
Didn't work in my case. I oftentimes mentioned to the elders both before and after I disassociated that my mother and sister could use encouragement. I had written the elders and cc'd Brooklyn after I disassociated in March, 1994 again asking them to visit my sister, my mother having died in early 1994. Both my mother was and my sister continues to be a baptized JW. There was/is absolutely no reason for the elders to not visit or at least arrange others to do so.
I thought, give 'em one last chance. Try and get them to at LEAST visit my sister (my mother died in 1994 without their visiting her while she was in the nursing home). I thought I'd contact headquarters.
What did I find? They now have an electronic way of getting you to sign up for a "free" visit, but still no provision for e-mail. Chickens. PLUS, they now don't even provide their branch headquarters addresse to do a snail mail either. Double chickens.
I remember the line often times that I'd heard while still a Dub: "You won't find love out in the World like you'll find with Jehovah's Witnesses."
THANK-GOD for
that!!!