Should I tell my Christian grandmother about my Pagan wedding?
Relationship Advice
By
on April 14, 2011
67
Your grandma might be more bad-ass than you're expecting. More photos from this wedding here.
I have a very close relationship with my Grandmother, however, in all my years of being so close with her, I, uh, "forgot" to mention that I am not Christian, but in fact Pagan. She is very religious and while it isn't overbearing — if anything it's wonderful that she has so much faith — this is very troubling to me because telling her than I'm Pagan would absolutely break her heart, and I really really really do not want to do that to her. Lying, yes, but with every good intention possible.I've been dreaming of a hippie, backyard wedding, but now I am freaking out because even though I know no matter what that my Grandmother will always love me, but I know that she will feel directly responsible for me "straying from God."
I've contemplated having two ceremonies, but do you had any advice on how I should approach this, and do you think there's any way I can really get away with this grand and terrible scheme I am trying to hatch? -Kei
Certainly having two weddings is a work-around to avoid confronting the situation, but alternately, this could be an amazing opportunity to deepen your already close relationship with your Grandmother. Do you really want to build your wedding around an elaborate scheme concocted to protect your grandmother from your true self? Or do you want to use your wedding as a chance to live your life with integrity and allow your grandmother to finally know the full and authentic you?
Of course only you can know the specifics of your particular relationship and your particular grandmother, but if you're close to her, it seems like you have been presented with a chance to really deepen your relationship with her. Potentially, you have the opportunity to act as an ambassador, giving your Grandma the chance to learn that Pagans aren't Devil-worshiping Hell-bound freaks… they're quite lovely, actually. She's loved and admired a Pagan for years, and not even known it.
You have the opportunity to act as an ambassador, giving your Grandma the chance to learn that Pagans aren't Devil-worshiping Hell-bound freaks… they're quite lovely, actually.
In keeping this secret from your Grandmother, you're also denying her the opportunity to surprise you with her acceptance. I have a friend in Seattle who, after months of agonizing over it, decided to come out to his Southern mother about his open marriage. "What a coincidence," she responded. "Your step-father and I have an open marriage too!" I'm not saying your Grandmother is going to be all, "OMG, YES! I was JUST making plans for my Beltane celebration! Would you like to come?" But if you're as "very close" with her as you've described, she may be more accepting of her heathen granddaughter than you expect.
You've been given an invitation to stop protecting your grandmother from who you are — you're both people of faith, and I want to believe that people of faith can work to find the common ground. My mother was raised Catholic, and went Pagan in her 20s… and I know she's found a lot of similarities in the focus on ceremony, ritual, altars, and idolatry. I'd love to hear from Pagan readers about any specific first-hand experience they've got with finding common ground with Christian family members.
Alternately, it might not be worth it. You could have two ceremonies with an empty day in-between them, starting with the more traditional Grandma-friendly one. It'll be twice as hard to plan and more than a little sneaky, which begs the question of what's worse? Outing yourself to your grandmother and bracing for her to be upset who you truly are, or potentially fracturing the relationship by lying to her?
Update
Kei, the original gal who asked us this the question wrote in via comments about how the situation turned out. It was such a powerful comment that we thought we'd post it here:
Hello, everyone. I know it's been a year or so since I asked this question, and I still appreciate all of the advice that was passed onto me. But in the event this thread is read all the way through, I just wanted to update everyone.Two months after this question was asked, it was discovered that my grandmother had stage 4 esophageal cancer, which is, as it turns out, one of the worst kinds of cancer to have if you want to attend your granddaughter's wedding the following year. The issue with my religion was a non-issue at that point - because bringing it up to her and risking bringing an additional weight on her already stressful situation was, in my opinion, not worth it.
She passed away that December, a week before Christmas.
In that time I learned that I should have really just told her before all of this happened. I do regret not saying anything, but I don't regret trying to make her last days as comfortable and loving as I could make them for her. Nothing was more important to us than to make sure we were there for her when she was ready to leave.
So, as the featured questioner of this article, to whoever has this problem and you are searching for an answer here: Life is so short, I hate the cliche, but you really have no idea how much time you'll have left to do something that you want to do. To be honest with my grandma about my beliefs was something I wanted to eventually come to terms with, but just that quick, she was taken from us. I had no time to decide if it was really the best idea, but regardless, I find myself wishing that I could have told her, because our relationship was strong and I know that she would have loved me regardless.
All the best,
Kei
About Ariel Meadow Stallings
Author of Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternatives for Independent Brides, Ariel acts as the publisher of all the Offbeat Empire websites. She lives, loves, and dorks out hard in Seattle, WA.
Sheila Kwasek said
Good choice to tell her the truth! Personally, I find a lot of my friends (both Christian and non-Christian) always seem to think they have to hide things from me if they think I won't like it. Usually, when they tell me such things, they're right in that I'm disappointed/dislike their actions… but I prefer to know what's what rather than be ignorant of the real lives of the people I love! I hope your granma is the same way!
Actually, when I think about it, I've had people I'm close to (including my FH) "come out" to me that they don't believe in God… and yeah I was upset by that. But while I was concerned for their salvation on the one hand, I was also seriously hurt that they would keep something like that from me for so long- the secrecy was far more damaging than knowing they had different beliefs from me.
I hope it all goes well with your granma…
Offbeat Intern said
I had a really close family friend who was really really offended that we were having a non-religious ceremony in the church I grew up in. (It's a long story, but suffice to say that my parents, who are religious and the priest, were all cool with it.)
She pretended like she was OK with it when I told her, but then would pick fights about the wedding (food, clothing, etc). Eventually, it got so out of hand that we ended up disinviting her the the wedding. It was really sad, because I had thought should would be really supportive and it turned out to not be the case. It also ruined her relationship with my whole family – I am in touch with her and her relationship with my parents and sister is still strained a year later.
My only point is that not every one is self-aware. Just because your grandmother seems OK with it at first, doesn't mean she actually is and that may play out in other things.
I do think it makes sense to be honest and tell her before the wedding (who wants drama on the day), but at the same time be prepared that her words and actions may not coincide.
The other thing to think about is how you will feel looking out at her during the ceremony – will you feel judged or concerned about what she's thinking? That's obviously not the way you want to feel.
Anyway, it's a tricky situation and I hope it all works out for you!
- Becca
Krissy said
Well this article came at a time when my fiance' and I are in the planning stages of our wedding ceremony. Right now we decided to do without a ring for either of us and do a handfasting our church. You see I am a kitchen Christian witch and he is an agnostic, kristna with a touch of Buddhism going to a Unitarian Universalist Church. I kinda agree you should tell your grandmother that you are Pagan. Grandmothers as I have noticed are a bit more forgiving and open minded than the parents. My family, except for my sister in law does not know that I technically I am a Pagan.For all for the most of my family I am relapse Christian who has not return to the Catholic church since my divorce. Depending on how you present it to your grandmother, get some information for her to read on and be open to any and all questions from her. Hopefully this will keep the bond between you two strong
Tori Story said
I'm Wiccan, and like you am doing the full-out whole hog Wiccan business for the ceremony.
I really believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt on this stuff, even if you do tell her, and the reaction seems unenthusiastic.
My family has known my religion a long, long time, and I notice when I bring up the religious elements of the wedding everyone tends to go a little quiet. My partner's parents do the same thing. It surprised me at first, especially with my family, but I realized I had to stop the emotional jump to interpret silence or awkwardness as disapproval. Instead, as I realized from talking to a couple of friends and my partner's parents starting calling asking for information because they want to be well equipped to answer questions, I think it's just that everyone is being super cautious to not offend me!
My family believes in and respects my religion enough that they want to be careful not to make light of it or assume anything about what I'm doing. It means a little more work – and an awful lot of awkward silence where I need to volunteer more and more information before anyone seems to feel equipped to participate in the conversation – but it's coming from a place of love and care, not discontent
In contrast, I've realized some of my non-religious friends are super excited about it because even though it's religious, they seem to equate non-Christian as non-religious, which is actually pretty offensive ideologically, but they're the ones skipping and jumping to talk about my 'alternative' wedding. Even though I know there's a bit of an uncomfortable connection there, I'm also taking the skipping and jumping where I can get it.
Your handfasting/wedding will be FANTASTIC. They are so core celebration and frivolity, that anyone religiously comfortable enough to attend will have a good time.
As much as it would be a disappointment if your grandmother doesn't attend – and I think a lot of us have acknowledged that as a slight possibility – I think you should give her the opportunity to let you know what she needs. It might even be that you end up compromising to have two ceremonies, where she only attends one, or she attends both but enjoys one more – but then you can do it *for her* and don't have to worry about deceiving her, or her finding out the wrong way.
If there's any silence or awkwardness – which has been a super common response for me: space to digest, then information, information, information!
Ann said
I told my mother that I was having a pagan handfasting, not a Christian wedding. She was supportive, as always….but I'm still not sure how my other family members will respond. I have a mix of Mormons and Catholics at various levels of faith extremes. I've often realized that for most people it's just a matter of not understanding, of fearing what they do not understand. So, we're taking steps to educate our friends and family about the process, about what we're doing, and how to be prepared. We'll also let them know that we understand if they are uncomfortable to come directly to us, and they don't have to watch the ceremony if they don't want to. We're fine with reception-only guests.
Everyone's family and individual circumstances are different. Some parents take a child's sexuality or religious choice as a slight against their parenting skills, others go "hey cool" and let it go. I hope your grandmother is of the latter kind, and I'm sure with information and love she'll grow to understand. Good luck!
SaraL said
I actually find it pretty heartbreaking to hear of how many parents and grandparents rejected their children/grandchildren after finding out they are Christian. Seems pretty weird to me since out religion is based on the fact that God is Love. Plus, I would be more hurt if my child or grandchild faked a belief in something (which I WOULD find offensive to my religion) rather than just having a wedding authentic to themselves.
I personally would tell her, but then I have always been very open about my religious beliefs. There have been some things that I keep to myself and share with very few people (Like my sexuality) but that is just because I believe it is my business and in my case, most people will never really find out unintentionally. However, my religion shapes who I am and a lot of the decisions I make so it is one of those need to know things.
Whatever you decide, I hope it works out perfectly. I think if you grandmother is that close to you that the honesty will just help your relationship grow.
Aurora said
There are two things you said that really stick out to me: "She is very religious and while it isn't overbearing — if anything it's wonderful that she has so much faith…", and that you said that you are worried she will be upset because you are "straying from God."
As some people have alluded to before, there seems to be this misconception that there are three schools of thought: Christian, Jewish, and the "non-Christians", aka atheists, "heathens", and "devil worshippers". Four, if you count the current American mentality that Muslims are not practitioners of a legitimate religion but are automatically terrorists (but aside from being ridiculous and untrue, that's a rant for another day). Atheists seem to get a particularly bad rap. When I told my very traditional, old-fashioned Catholic mother that I was Pagan, she was both upset and supportive. Upset because I wasn't Catholic as she had raised me and she didn't particularly approve of Neo-Paganism, but supportive because at least she was able to provide me with a belief in some sort of god, even though it was not the one of her choosing. So, basically, I wasn't Catholic, which sucked, but at least I wasn't an atheist. Your description of it being wonderful that she has so much faith leads me to believe that she may feel the same way.
That being said, my mother knows, but my grandmother does not. Now, my mother is a much more devout, traditional, and old-fashioned Catholic than many her age or many in the church community she raised me in. My grandmother is even more so than that. My grandmother actually refuses to attend masses at your standard Catholic church and only attends pre-Vatican-II Latin masses. One of my cousins is a make-up artist, and when my grandmother was told that there were pictures of her decorated in body paint for an art project, she contacted several family members and requested that we pray for my cousin. I am both terrified of coming out to her as Pagan and coming out to her as gay (although the latter is a bit silly because one of my uncles is gay, so it's not like she hasn't had years to come to terms with that sort of thing). What if she doesn't want to stay in contact with me? Will I have the same fears that you are having if and when I get married? However, I believe with my grandmother, and I hope with yours, that a belief in unconditional love for family will outweigh the problems they have with the whole Paganism thing. I know you decided to tell her and I can't wait to hear what happens. And just remember, you've got us at Offbeat Bride to vent to and rejoice with and to offer you support (and I'm sure many family and friends as well!). Good luck!
Zephyr said
So, it looks like lots has been input and figured out since this was posted. Nevertheless, I really recommend that you read Raven Kaldera's "Handfasting and Wedding Rituals." It's in lots of libraries and has LOADS of good information in it. If you've got most of your actual-ritual-planning done (which it sounds like you have) it won't be as useful as it could, but I STILL recommend it. There's lots of great advice for dealing with family, and the mixed-faith ceremony section is particularly awesome. Really, I recommend this book for anyone considering a non-standard ceremony, as it has tons of great advice!
Ostara said
I had to struggle with this as well. My fiance is atheist, so I pretty much had the say in what kind of religious or spiritual traditions to draw on. My parents were very disappointed when they heard we were not going to get married in the Catholic church, but I told them that I believed it was disrespectful to simply get married how someone else wants you to, especially when you don't believe in it yourself. My parents didn't fight it, mostly because they know what a spitfire I am! Yes, there was almost a grieving process that my parents had to go though; but in the end it truly is all for the best. Never cover up who you are or lie about it to please others, no good ever comes of it.
Yellowbird said
We had an issue where, since we were having a civil ceremony, we weren't allowed to mention God, which really freaked out my Dear Husband's mother. So we came up with a couple solutions, We used a ring warming as a way to include Everyone's beliefs. We invited the guests to take a moment and put positive wishes and prayers into the rings. (I'll dig up the exact wording later) It gave the christian guests a chance for a private moment of prayer for us and everyone else could add their positive engery. We also chose spiritually neutral readings that had a spiritual suptext, and invited my husband's uncle to pray for us before dinner. By including and acknowledging her faith, my Mother-in-law was much more comfortable with some of the more off beat things that happened.
Jen said
My husband and are not religious in the slightest. His parents are as old as my grandparents, so this is where my 2 cents comes in. (We're getting weddinged in two weeks, in case there's any confusion here). My husband was raised in the Nazarene Church and was very religious until just before he left for college. His family is all VERY religious as well, to the point where we aren't even mentioning the marriage to his older and more traditional family members. This doesn't bother me because they're so old and frail (many in their late 90s, many of them not remembering too much at all anymore, all of them telling my husband he just needs to meet a good Nazarene girl and settle down to have a family even though they've met me).
Hubby's parents, like I said, are the same age as my grandparents. The fact that these two very conservative republican folks have embraced me with all my tattoos, body piercings, and wacky hair colors baffled me a bit at first. Honestly, I don't think they understood what we were doing with the wedding (getting married by a friend ordained online, outside, BBQ, cupcakes, and casual clothes). My husband's mother, I found out two weeks ago, has been reading my wedding blog this entire time. She told my husband she feels like she's gotten to know us both even more as a couple and really enjoyed all my posts, including the posts about where the tradition of changing your name come from and all of our reasonings for doing what we're doing.
The bottom line is this: these people took the time to let it sink in about what we were doing and remained open-minded. They truly love both of us and they're just happy we're happy. I think your grandma will feel the same way.
DoeEyed Maiden said
Interesting article and comments — I see "Catholic" mentioned here several times in several different ways; and as a Catholic, I have often had some "other" Christians tell me that Catholics are "too pagan"; (obviously, that is probably not going to ring a bell with "real" Pagans — but some Christians are quite serious in thinking that Catholics aren't even Christian). Some Protestants find our use of sacramentals, images, prayers to Mary and the saints, etc. to be "pagan." Some Christians (I know this is not as common, but I've heard this many times) even object that Catholics "use" too much from Paganism — celebrating Christmas near the Winter Solstice as we do, talking about the Sun at Easter Vigil Mass, etc.
The fact is, Catholics believe the material world is good. God created it to be good, and we are meant to USE it, not pretend we are bodiless spiritual beings. Philosophically / theologically, we also believe that human beings are good (despite original sin), and that the Will (that part of you that makes you want something) can only be directed towards to something that is either 1)good or 2)appears good because of some aspect of it. Therefore, if Catholic missionaries found a culture with certain practices and traditions based on the natural order, they "baptised" or "Christianized" those practices (please, no bashing on Missionaries — let's just say another time, another place; just trying to make the point that some "Christian" practices were actually adapted from Pagan ones).So, the whole celebrating of seasons and the cycles of nature = good. That's why we incorporate it into our liturgical year! The elements of nature are good — we use fire (candles) and water (blessed holy water) in our services.
So, I'm just pointing out that there is always room for common ground. Ironically to what it might seem, there is actually quite a bit of discussion that's possible between a Pagan and a Catholic, as well as other kinds of Christians, of course. You might be able to incorporate some of those things that would make your grandmother comfortable – lighting a candle, etc.
That said, I agree with another poster: it might be better to leave "Jesus" out of it than to call Him something other than God, in terms of appealing to / making comfortable non-pagan guests. They might be more in agreement and more comfortable if you speak in general terms of goodness and unity, etc., then actually making theological statments about specific deities.
Also, as other people have said on here, you never know how someone will react; you cannot judge someone's reaction just because they wear a business suit and tie, or because they attend Church weekly. On the flip side, there *are* some small minded people out there with tattooes and piercings! So you never know until you try being really honest with people.
Also, it's totally your decision about what/when to tell your grandma. But — I think there is a place for just "playing along" (i.e., if someone is nearly senile and close to the end of their life, is that conversation really going to be productive for either of you or the relationship? Nod, smile, say "I love you," and keep going.) But if someone is a major and ongoing part of your life, and likely to be so for the future, it seems to me like it would be difficult to try to keep covering it up. But maybe that's just me; I'm a terrible liar!
Kathleen said
Are there any readings from the bible that you feel would be appropriate for your ceremony? It can be referenced in a respectful manner, and your grandmother may appreciate it. There are many meaningful passages – even the passage about man caring for the earth in genesis.
Sarah D. said
We're having a handfasting, with a full circle and callings too, and the way we're handling this is to make sure everyone knows from the beginning that it is a pagan handfasting. We're also spreading the word that if anyone feels uncomfortable attending the ceremony they can still come to the reception with no questions asked. Our wedding website has a lot of information on handfasting and what it is so people like my Catholic grandparents can decide beforehand without walking out in the middle of the ceremony. That said, I have been "out" since I was twelve so it might not be the same situation as yours.
Rye said
It always seems to be the pagans working themselves up so as to not offend people
and also sad that some peoples loved ones choose not to celebrate with them just because they are pagan, gay, whatever.
I wonder how many people getting married in a church really care if any of their guests are uncomfortable with organised religion?
I'm not getting at anyone here, but I love reading offbeat bride and it's amazing some of the stories you get to hear about
Good luck to everyone, let and let live
Crystal Groves said
It may be worth at least broaching the subject with your grandmother on the topic of paganism (not specific to your wedding), just to see if she has any views on paganism as a whole. That would at least give you an idea on what her reaction might be.
I see nothing wrong with a pagan-lite ceremony that doesn't specifically cry out "pagan". What specifics were you thinking could be an issue for your grandmother? Most "pagan" elements would actually most likely just be seen as eccentric to the unknowing.
Sandy said
We had 2 ceremonies, just flat out. We are both in the broom closet with our parents and grandmothers, but wanted a religious ceremony that wasn't going to be a lie. So we had 2.
We had our handfasting in May at the Renaissance faire we both volunteered at. This is where we just did whatever we felt like doing: our small, outdoor, rennie, pagan outdoor wedding. We didn't do any of the legal bits there, but that is where we became husband and wife.
We did the big white monstrosity (our parents wishes) in November that same year. It was completely secular, (I think we had one mention of "the divine being" but that was it) led by my sister (who didn't want to be a bridesmaid, but wanted to help) and felt "spiritual" enough to keep the grandmothers happy.
The closest we came to accidentally outing ourselves was J's aunt came to the handfasting and we weren't expecting it. So we had to pull her to the side afterward and explain. She didn't have a problem with it, she just wasn't sure why his parents weren't there.
However, and this is very big, while this worked for us, Your Milage May Vary!
Joyelle said
Like Brittany, we had a pagan ceremony and didn't make a big deal of it. We didn't have any fall-out from our Christian relatives, and in fact had many comments that our hand-fasting ceremony was the most beautiful and unique ceremony many had attended.
anabanana said
My ceremony was very pagan-lite. We had it at my grandmother's baptist church, because it was free and made my grandmother ecstatic. However, I wrote the entire ceremony. The pastor gave me his wedding ceremony book and I did a web search for pagan ceremonies. In the end it wasn't even noticed by anyone other than my mother and my maid of honor. It was sort of spiritual but I avoided any direct terms like God, Gods, Goddesses and such.
Julia-Gulia said
This sounds so similar to our attempt to have an atheist ceremony with 2 religious families. I'm not going to lie, it was a huge struggle. As much as your family loves you the giant nonsensical head of "TRADITION" loves to butt in. We got so many guilt trips from our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. and they were just upset we weren't having our wedding in a church, not that it was an atheist wedding. Only our friends that accept our beliefs were the ones who knew that this was an atheist wedding. See the way we got around the confession of our beliefs to our whole family was to request a personal wedding. It wasn't lying perse but rather providing selecitve information. On the day of, all we got were compliments. We brought tears to the people who were pushing for the traditional church wedding. Their comments were all about how personal and truly loving it was. Like no other wedding they had been to.
I guess my best advice for the situation is expect some resistance, expect people to act hurt because "TRADITION" blinds them to what's really important, two people coming together in love and wanting to share it with their families. In the end it is almost like trying a new food for the first time. You don't think you're going to like it but when you actually try it you might actually like it better than what you eat everyday.
Erica Manternach said
My fiance and I are athiests. He has a very religious protestant grandmother who is 93 years old. My family is Catholic. While it is certainly anything but easy, we have decided not to make a lot of commotion about religious differences or our lack there of, but we do not want to lie either. We do not want anything on the day that we give our vows to be centered around a lie. Our wedding will be about us uniting in marriage and love and it will not be about religion. I have an aunt that is a nun that has asked to give a blessing and we explained our feelings about religion–as awkward as that was–and she took it better than I expected and has agreed that it will be more of a toast and non-secular. If our religious family members want to take a moment of silence and pray silently during the ceremony, we are ok with them practicing their beliefs on our wedding day. We do not want them to feel uncomfortable. It is my hope that they will walk away from the ceremony appreciating how unique and beautiful it was.
Katie said
My fiancée and I are both practicing pagans and want to incorporate some aspects into the wedding. My grandmother is protestant, my aunt and uncle are catholic and his mother is Jewish. It's going to be interesting nonetheless but we're going to make it not as pronounced as some of the weddings I've seen. Small, calm and collected. Something that represents us rather than something that we feel that we don't need. Isn't that what marriage is all about?
SwissSushi said
By not being open with your Grandmother, you are bringing a little darkness into an otherwise beautiful and light filled relationship. You will always think of that one (shameful?) secret between you. Now, to come out to ease your concience would be a rather selfish thing, but if you are worried about her being hurt by your pagan-ness or your pagan wedding, you should at least have a discussion with her about the nontraditional elements that will be in your wedding. If you have this discussion, you will be setting the stage for the wedding, easing your fears, and opening the door to a more full conversation that will help you and your grandmother more fully understand each other. I had the conversation with my Mom long before I met my hub. It took her a little time to be comfortable with me calling myself a witch and being so open about my religion, but now it never comes up as a topic of stress and often leads us into some interesting and fulfilling conversations. On our recent trip to Rome and the Vatican, it even lead to her making some interesting observations, suggestions, and jokes!
Tessa said
This is rather late, but this whole article and its comments are awesome to read! I have the same problem, except with my parents
I want so badly to tell them that I am Pagan (now pursuing Wicca). The problem is that I know for a fact that they won't be accepting of my religion. They believe that the Harry Potter books are evil because JK Rowling researched Wicca/Witchcraft in the making of the books; they believe that Pagans worship the devil; and they believe that anyone who is a Pagan and/or practices any sort of magic is involved with the Devil. If I tried to tell them otherwise, they wouldn't listen, even if I was just trying to inform them without me telling them I am a part of those beliefs (I have tried this before). Does anyone have any advice for what I should do in this case? I would love to have blatant Paganism/Wicca in my ceremony, but I don't know how this is possible.
Sarah D. said
In this case I might stay "in the broom closet" as they say. With some people there is no reasoning, and if you think that you might have a falling out, it would be best to avoid the topic. That said, it depends on what is important to you. Is it important to keep contact with your parents or to be completely open with them? As for the wedding, there are lots of ways to include both the God and Goddess and other elements that are not obvious. Making a handfasting ritual part of it, using certain wording, and lighting an altar candle for each of the directions are blatantly pagan to those in the know, but not necessarily to your parents. You could also have your seating in a circle and have the flower girl throw petals around the border without any vocal invocations. Or if you feel full honesty is more important, and the risks feel worth it to you, your parents may surprise you with their understanding. (here's hoping)
Kei said
Hello, everyone. I know it's been a year or so since I asked this question, and I still appreciate all of the advice that was passed onto me. But in the event this thread is read all the way through, I just wanted to update everyone.
Two months after this question was asked, it was discovered that my grandmother had stage 4 esophageal cancer, which is, as it turns out, one of the worst kinds of cancer to have if you want to attend your granddaughter's wedding the following year. The issue with my religion was a non-issue at that point – because bringing it up to her and risking bringing an additional weight on her already stressful situation was, in my opinion, not worth it.
She passed away that December, a week before Christmas.
In that time I learned that I should have really just told her before all of this happened. I do regret not saying anything, but I don't regret trying to make her last days as comfortable and loving as I could make them for her. Nothing was more important to us than to make sure we were there for her when she was ready to leave.
So, as the featured questioner of this article, to whoever has this problem and you are searching for an answer here: Life is so short, I hate the cliche, but you really have no idea how much time you'll have left to do something that you want to do. To be honest with my grandma about my beliefs was something I wanted to eventually come to terms with, but just that quick, she was taken from us. I had no time to decide if it was really the best idea, but regardless, I find myself wishing that I could have told her, because our relationship was strong and I know that she would have loved me regardless.
All the best,
Kei