So, Christmas was a downer [View all]

I’m 71, disabled, don’t get out much except to one of my doctors, to the grocery, and drugstore for my meds. Living like this I’ve become quite a hermit with no one nearby ~ the few relatives or friends living out of state.

About 22 years ago I converted to Buddhism. One major reason was how my evangelical right wing siblings had treated me for much of my life;
my thinking being that if that’s how “Christians” behave, I needed a different path.

When I converted to Buddhism, they told me I’ll burn in Hell while they party in Heaven (I’m unsure how evangelicals party) and cut off contact with me for about 10 years. Just kicked me out, disowned me.
We slowly regained contact over time, and did not discuss religion or politics (they love Trump).

Each Christmas for some years they would send me a very religious Christian Christmas card,
and I would send them maybe a card with a snowman wishing them a Merry Christmas.

This year I got nothing from them. I felt it coming, as during the past year they have not replied to my emails, or returned my phone calls, etc.

I guess I made the mistake in telling them that I had arranged for my cremated ashes to be sent to a Buddhist temple in California for the scattering of my remains (along with a small religious service).
Previously a niece was going to scatter my ashes, but over time I became concerned that they were planning a Christian burial.

Apparently sending my remains to a Buddhist temple is grounds for my excommunication (again) from my family.

I and my two remaining siblings are in our seventies.
Doubtful any of us will change in what time we have left.

Well Hell, after all, they are my ashes!
Still, it would have been nice to have received a card from them.
(I did mail cards to them)

Sorry for boring y’all, but I needed to vent.