Return and Report™:
Diarrhea didn't show up to save me...
It turned out to be a wonderful day.
And wouldn't you know it, my "prediction" came true:
wtfluff wrote: ↑Tue Dec 11, 2018 8:10 amWill "they ask?" I really don't know. As I mentioned, my family would earn a gold medal in passive aggressive
mormon behavior if it were an olympic sport. I'm not sure any of my actual siblings will ask.
Not. One. Question. Not from a sibling, not from an in-law, not a nosy aunt or otherwise. I'm surprised, yet not surprised. My confirmation bias tells me that there were some sad looks in some eyes, and some slight probing during normal conversation, and a few folks seemed a bit more "stand-offish" but it really, likely is just my confirmation bias.
Now the question is: will anyone breach the subject in the future? A phone call? An email? My guess is likely not. As I said, the rumors will fly, and now I've just been moved from the "sharing rumors" bucket to the "I am the rumor" bucket in the family. I will likely know for sure when I don't get the "Fast and pray for [other non-believing sibling]" emails.
My elderly mother was unable to attend any of the festivities. How long will it take for the rumors to travel? Will the sadness and devastation of "another empty chair" kill her? Would me having the most difficult conversation of my (and possibly her) life be better than the "don't talk about it" status quo of my family?
As always, my NOM Mantra abides:
"What Now?"
I
did take the opportunity to pull my in-laws aside and apologize for excluding them from their daughter's (my wife's) nuptials, and I apologized via proxy for two of their other kids, two of their grand-kids, and four or more of the to-be-married-in-the-future grand-kids. They of course instantly replied: "It's not your fault". I don't remember the exact wording of the the rest of the conversation was, something like: No matter who's fault it is/was, we really didn't realize what we were doing and how awful it is. The church doesn't do this to family's in many other countries all over the world, and it's just not right that they do it here. Then I said something like: Honestly, you're not missing that much because the temple ceremony is kind of creepy, so let's enjoy the upcoming ring ceremony which will be more memorably and personal than what happens in the temple (it did turn out awesome.) Of course, this was an extremely emotional (spiritual?) experience. I guess calling the cult out on it's heinous, exclusionary practices is True™.
So, even though I didn't get to use any witty replies, this has been (for me at least) a very fun and entertaining thread. I'm still "allergic to fake green silk", and "those mirrors are (still) really creepy", and if anyone actually asks, I'm still likely going to use something from this thread to reply.
Many, many many thanks to those NOMies who visited in person yesterday and listened to be blubber/gave me a shoulder to cry on.