Besides the obvious (not suffering under a cult), these are the little things I'm thankful for:

1. Discovering the joys of coffee. Wow, coffee is DELICIOUS. And it makes you feel more awake and like yourself, such a wonderful drink to get you through a long day of work.

2. Alcohol. In moderation, of course. I've just started having a drink now and then. It makes me feel both normal and grown up at the same time (at 40 yrs old, haha). Not to mention it makes me feel relaxed.

3. Never having to starve and go to fast and testimony meeting ever again!! I always hated fasting, even when I was TBM. It never made me feel more spiritual, just really hungry and tired and cranky. Not to mention guilty (yet again) on the Sundays I didn't fast, which was most of them. The thought of never having to fast again thrills me. To think of all the dozens of ways the church tried to control your life for imaginary magical reasons, it's so freeing to be done with it all.

What are your small joys?

Sundays
My children
My brain

I never had time to enjoy any of them while I was TBM.

I raised my only begotten son outside of Mormonism. It was a gift that I never received myself. It was the best thing I could do for him. My family has been poisoned by Mormon fanaticism for generations. How refreshing to open the windows and air out the house! The skeletons clack their cobweb jaws in protest, but I refuse to listen. They are the rot of dead customs. Their hollow bones crunch under my feet. For my son, Mormonism is like the rumor of decaying leaves at the bottom of a mulch pile.

Watching my daughters grow up as independent, intelligent, goal-oriented thinkers. The kind who make their OWN goals and have no need of a checkoff list or reward system--or private meetings with a man behind a closed door--to validate who they are and where they are going.

Also, my marriage, uncomplicated by religion. I've never known such pure love.

Isn't that the GREATEST feeling? Having the relationship YOU want with your SO, not the one TSCC expects you to have. Working out problems in ways that make the coupling happy, not to make the bishop/TSCC happy.

Leaving TSCC gave me the opportunity to see myself as really okay. And seeing myself as an okay person gives me the courage to be myself, even on a first date which helps immensely in weeding out people who aren't right for me, and allowing them to see who I am too, so they can get out without wasting a lot of time if I'm not the right one for them.

I'm middle aged and truly in love for the first time in my entire life. I'm absolutely giddy. I had no idea this was love. And it never would have happened had I still been trying to please god/church/priesthood holders/everyone but myself, and feeling like crap because I was never good enough.

Life


smiles are real now

-Coffee
-Beer
-Rum
-Trap shooting on Sunday mornings
-The fact my wonderful wife is Catholic
-The fact my precious children and grandchildren are Lutheran and know zero about Mormonism

Life is great!!!

Ron Burr

Sundays, cracking open that beer that I can taste even before it touches my lips,feeling sorry for my miserable brothrs and sister as they slave to the meetings and and try to act happy. Oh now what a beutiful and happy life I have now

Doing all the things that sounded cool as a Mormon that I was forbidden:

- Going to Starbucks
- Drinking Earl Grey Tea
- Snapple
- Rum and Coke
- Getting a tattoo
- Wearing a cross
- Human underwear

I didn't realize how many things I secretly wished I could do that is just a joy to be able to do now. Things like that make me realize it's MY life and I'm not some slave to a cult.

Sundays are now a day of rest

Wine tasting
coffee
no drop in mormons
feeling better about who I am
My kids and grandkids aren't mormon
About 15% more money
No week night meetings.
None of our friends need help moving
None of our friends need a job
None of our friends are mormons
None of our neighbors are mormon

Ironically, I no longer feel like God is disappointed in me

No longer having to feel shame of any of my affiliations. I was always embarrassed of that stupid church. Even when I believed in it. I felt guilty to not be more proud of it, but now I know I was right to be ashamed of it.

No guilt or wondering if my efforts are enough to please the Mormon God who happens to be pretty Goddamn demanding!

Guiltless masturbation

Full weekends instead of half weekends

This list could really go on for days. Being a Mormon blows on so many levels. Even as a TBM you realize it, but you are naïve enough to think that this is what God really wants from you.

Looking forward to Sundays with my family :)

The guilt free ability to finally be ME!!

Feeling good!

just plain and simple. To enjoy a beautiful day, just for what it is. No guilt, no hidden agenda's, no hidden messages, no nothing.

Just living life, and enjoying wonderful moments as they arise.
I can simply feel great and enjoy my day,
or I can feel like crap when things are not so good.

It's okay to cry when I'm feeling sad when life is hard. There is no guilt that I might have brought it on myself.. that it might be a punishment or a test..

I can just LIVE!

Just live.

It seems so simple, but it means SO much!

I don't have to be a polygamous little wifey for eternity. Yippee.

I can have a laugh at the church as it ties itself in knots with lies as it tries to convince people it hasn't been lying! Sweet irony!

Everything!

I just love being me.

No control from elderly American As****es.

Just loving life

Sundays free
I can study and think for myself
I'm free to be pagan if I want to be
Hate to admit this one - but I can smoke
and yes, coffee and alcohol too

Sundays
Coffee (each day)
Wine and Beer
Not living with guilt
Being Normal--relating with people
Not being controlled by a cult
Happiness

Having Sundays free to go for a long run, enjoy BBQs with neighbors, and generally doing whatever the hell I want.
Guilt free sex with another adult or (gasp) myself.
Pot and mushrooms.
Drinking coffee, beer, wine, mixed drinks.
Associating with the "wrong type". Being the "wrong type".
Not fasting.
Not wasting time sitting in a boring church meeting on a beautiful day.
Not feeling like a freak for not fitting in.
Not having to pretend to be happy and perfect. Now I actually feel very happy and satisfied with my life.
Only reading books I really want to read (no BOM).
Shocking people with what mormons really believe.
Getting to hear jokes about mormons that nobody tells mormons (What's the most fun you can have at a party: 1 mormon. what's the least fun you can have at a party: 2 mormons. Why shouldn't you invite just 1 mormon to dinner? He'll drink all your booze!)
Not being afraid to die because I don't fear divine retribution.
Having to explain to my child what a "sin" is, because he's never heard the word.
Telling my children that Jesus is sort of like Santa; some people believe in him, but we know it's just make believe.
Having no mormon friends.
Being able to select a good bottle of wine, because I know what's good and what is not.
Wearing really sexy panties and bras, sleeveless shirts and short skirts.
Knowing I can get a tattoo and still be a fine person.
Not having to do the mental gymnastics of justifying church beliefs and policies.
No longer being affiliated with an organization that espouses hate and discrimination.
Knowing that if I loose my keys, I'll find them eventually, and don't have to rely on the whims of some omnipotent being that likes to f@#k with people.
Not having to pretend.

Oh, and telling everybody I know that I've resigned from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Sheep!

Ron Burr

Not having to pretend (or try to rationalize) all those crazy fraking beliefs!!!
It made my head hurt, oh so much, trying to make it all make sense....

^^THIS^^

drinking coffee
pretty underwear
sleeping in on Sundays
having my Wednesday nights free
having 10% more money each year
knowing that I won't be paying out
not having to pay $51,000+ to send my children off on missions.

I know this sounds pretty stupid, but I love that I never be forced to wear a dress or skirt ever again. I hate those things, and in fact threw out what few I had when I left the cult.

That I am able to unconditionally accept my children
Not dying from the heat because I am over dressed in the summer
Being able to make weekend trips with my family
No guilt put upon by others when I do something I don't feel is bad
Realizing that everyone has a different way of seeing the world and that's okay and that what makes life so beautiful