I grew up fundie in south Texas in a large family. I was homeschooled , church was our entire life and we were very isolated but I was allowed to have a job at 15 to contribute to the family. I was secretly angry and depressed because showing emotions is a sin in fundie land. I knew I was never going to make a good fundie wife and it was frustrating because I was taught that would be my greatest achievement.

The job was waiting tables in a nearby larger city. Having a job was the beginning of the end. Since I was a waitress I was able to store way cash without my parents’ knowledge. I didn’t want people to judge me because of how I was raised so I didn’t judge others. I made friends easily for the first time and many of them were within the LGBTQ+ community, a lifestyle I had been taught was evil and a choice but this is obviously not true.

Anyways, I had to move out when I turned 18 to lessen my influence on my younger siblings. Also, my parents wanted me to learn how hard it is to live outside of the “umbrella structure” and God’s design for the family. It was hard but honestly living at home taking care of my siblings, working and having to deal with my mom’s undiagnosed mental health issues was harder.