“I’m Disappointed In You” – The Worst Words to Hear from a Mother

As you surely know, Christians just finished celebrating Easter Sunday.  This is the first year that I wasn’t at home for Easter, which was a little difficult for my parents.  However, they understood that I had a lot to do this weekend, and just couldn’t make it home.

I was talking to my mom on the phone today, and we began to discuss our plans for the day. Among those plans, I mentioned that I would be going to a Lutheran service with a few friends. She didn’t take this very well. I had told her I was attending church at least somewhat regularly, but I never expressly said I was attending Catholic Mass. Because I wasn’t. Because I didn’t feel welcome there.  She basically informed me how disappointed she is that I’ve dropped my faith and that she just doesn’t understand why I can’t just do the same thing she did, and the same thing her parents did, and the same thing their parents did, etc…

Of course, she doesn’t know that I’m bi, which complicates the “I don’t feel welcome there because of my sexuality” conversation. I have several other grievances with the church, which I explained to her, and I mentioned how I have close friends who are gay, and supporting that church supports discrimination against people I care about.

She was really worked up about it, and we ended the conversation with her saying, “I can’t believe you left the church. I’m so disappointed in you. That disappoints me.”

Happy Easter.