The incredible Jenny Hart (on Twitter here) has created her own Substack - I love the name! Pop over and give her a follow. In truth, she’s the real writer of our family! The People You Meet in 2023 We're finding each other in the wild now by Jenny Hart from
I’d love to meet you Jenny! This brought me to tears….as I still feel I am drowning over all I have lost. My 24 yr marriage being one thing. 30 yrs together. Two teenagers. Just. HORRIBLE. He wants to comply. I want to be free. And he vaxed one of our kids. It’s a trauma I have yet to begin to unravel. I feel battered, as you say. Emotionally battered. The church and its faithless blathering is yet another tragedy that makes the struggle of our marriage loss even harder to withstand. They were not there for us. Or for anyone, during this horrific time. It will forever challenge my faith to forgive them.
So very sorry for your marriage breaking up. I feel very fortunate to have a wonderful wife that was willing to listen and read early on about the virus and then the vaccines. Almost alienated us from our daughter who is a PA in another state and could not believe we were refusing the vax. Our relationship has returned to normal but neither of us bring up COVID or the vax.
Justin, you have an incredibly smart, caring, supportive wife. What a wonderful column she wrote, and, yes, I will have to subscribe. She reminds me much of my wife, whom I met 50 years ago this month - these are rare women. Thank you for sharing!
I was at the dentist this week and I told the assistant I was unvaxed, she said she was but very open in saying that she heard about the side effects and she said diseases. I was surprised at her candor.
Wonderful that you were able to find another church that was open to meeting in person. We (wife and I) too had to seek another church as the one we were members of closed and refused to open. Found another church that had only closed for 3 months and opened up for in person worship and limited fellowship. But way better than not attending. We are not vaccinated and would say so if asked. This has caused some friends to walk away or very standoffish. At the new church we have not been asked if we are vaccinated and nobody seems to care. I know some have mentioned they are, and a few even boosted. We just don't comment on this when it is mentioned.
We have been hearing lately stories from friends that someone in the family or other friends have had COVID a couple times even though they were vaccinated. They are questioning why. Should I say something? I know it can be a touchy topic and have resisted making conversation about it. I may speak up here soon and hope I will not be shut down or ostracized.
We pray for our children that were forced to get the vaccine or loose jobs.
This essay resonated with me as a Christian. My husband and I (and later our daughter) have/had regularly attended church services for over 20 years. When covid hit, I assumed the church would be a place of solace and community in the midst of the madness. But sadly our church leadership immediately succumbed to the madness. They completely shut down for over a year. Then months of "parking lot" church where there were cones in every other parking space to prevent the cars from passing virus to adjacent cars. We were instructed to bring our own communion elements to be blessed from afar. The pastor's weekly newsletter included a cumulative total of "cases" in the 2 counties that were served by our parish as well as constant directives from the CDC and our blue state governor. We were encouraged to report our vax status to the church. I kept thinking about early Christians who met in catacombs because they would be killed or imprisoned if they were discovered. And here we were, cowering because of a virus. When our church finally opened its doors, masks were required. We never went back after March 2020. I am still a follower of Jesus, and I know we will some day find another church. Thank you for helping me to realize that we aren't alone.
Remembering these ludicrous beliefs and behaviors from the early days leaves me speechless, chilled, and somewhat demoralized (at least whenever I am reminded of what my defense mechanisms are trying so hard to forget). We should never forget; and be on guard to never let this happen again.
I’d love to meet you Jenny! This brought me to tears….as I still feel I am drowning over all I have lost. My 24 yr marriage being one thing. 30 yrs together. Two teenagers. Just. HORRIBLE. He wants to comply. I want to be free. And he vaxed one of our kids. It’s a trauma I have yet to begin to unravel. I feel battered, as you say. Emotionally battered. The church and its faithless blathering is yet another tragedy that makes the struggle of our marriage loss even harder to withstand. They were not there for us. Or for anyone, during this horrific time. It will forever challenge my faith to forgive them.
So very sorry for your marriage breaking up. I feel very fortunate to have a wonderful wife that was willing to listen and read early on about the virus and then the vaccines. Almost alienated us from our daughter who is a PA in another state and could not believe we were refusing the vax. Our relationship has returned to normal but neither of us bring up COVID or the vax.
Justin, you have an incredibly smart, caring, supportive wife. What a wonderful column she wrote, and, yes, I will have to subscribe. She reminds me much of my wife, whom I met 50 years ago this month - these are rare women. Thank you for sharing!
I was at the dentist this week and I told the assistant I was unvaxed, she said she was but very open in saying that she heard about the side effects and she said diseases. I was surprised at her candor.
Wonderful that you were able to find another church that was open to meeting in person. We (wife and I) too had to seek another church as the one we were members of closed and refused to open. Found another church that had only closed for 3 months and opened up for in person worship and limited fellowship. But way better than not attending. We are not vaccinated and would say so if asked. This has caused some friends to walk away or very standoffish. At the new church we have not been asked if we are vaccinated and nobody seems to care. I know some have mentioned they are, and a few even boosted. We just don't comment on this when it is mentioned.
We have been hearing lately stories from friends that someone in the family or other friends have had COVID a couple times even though they were vaccinated. They are questioning why. Should I say something? I know it can be a touchy topic and have resisted making conversation about it. I may speak up here soon and hope I will not be shut down or ostracized.
We pray for our children that were forced to get the vaccine or loose jobs.
You nailed it, even the Bible study that encouraged on several level!!
This essay resonated with me as a Christian. My husband and I (and later our daughter) have/had regularly attended church services for over 20 years. When covid hit, I assumed the church would be a place of solace and community in the midst of the madness. But sadly our church leadership immediately succumbed to the madness. They completely shut down for over a year. Then months of "parking lot" church where there were cones in every other parking space to prevent the cars from passing virus to adjacent cars. We were instructed to bring our own communion elements to be blessed from afar. The pastor's weekly newsletter included a cumulative total of "cases" in the 2 counties that were served by our parish as well as constant directives from the CDC and our blue state governor. We were encouraged to report our vax status to the church. I kept thinking about early Christians who met in catacombs because they would be killed or imprisoned if they were discovered. And here we were, cowering because of a virus. When our church finally opened its doors, masks were required. We never went back after March 2020. I am still a follower of Jesus, and I know we will some day find another church. Thank you for helping me to realize that we aren't alone.
Remembering these ludicrous beliefs and behaviors from the early days leaves me speechless, chilled, and somewhat demoralized (at least whenever I am reminded of what my defense mechanisms are trying so hard to forget). We should never forget; and be on guard to never let this happen again.