Sometimes I write about my experiences as the oldest child from a big “Quiverfull” family and growing up in a church that was spiritually abusive. My story is my own and it provides the context for talking about hurtful assumptions or disturbing teachings which I sometimes write against. As the guinea pig of a generation of good intentions, I hope to help my peers move beyond some of the half-truths and black-and-white assumptions we grew up with by writing about where I have been.
I am in no way blaming my parents for the choices they made (which they made for various personal reasons related to their own experiences) or the teachings they received (some good and some not so good) and passed on to me. They were doing the best they could in a Christian subculture where some bad ideas were strongly touted as the right way to do things and there was very little in these teachings that had been proven and tried. While we may not agree with each other on which decisions they made were “good,” I greatly respect them and acknowledge some fundamental differences in our methods of approaching the world. We are able to agree to disagree and still enjoy each other.
If you know my family or my parents, please do not contact them about my writing. We are on good terms and hope for it to remain this way. They know about my blog, we’ve talked about it, and we would appreciate it if you don’t meddle. The content of this blog is my perspective only and I do not speak for them. I do not write to condemn or criticize them, but rather to comment on the “movement” in which we were all variously participants. We’re recovering in our own ways and at different speeds.
Thank you.
