[NSFW] What made you lose your innocence?

I grew up in a typical Mormon family, Mom, Dad, 2 brothers and 3 sisters. But my father had remarried and had 2 of 3 sons with my mother, so 4 of my siblings aren't full blood related and are 20 years older than me.

My youngest sister married a guy her 2nd year of college. This man INSTANTLY became part of the family. Loved playing sports with my brothers, loved talking religion and politics with my dad and (especially) loved playing video games with me. (My other brothers were into sports, so he was the first person to show me games could be cooperative. Months and years of Diddy Kong Racing and Killer Instinct ((great mormon child games lol)) He quickly became my best friend in the family. They went on to have 4 sons (two twins in 2005) and a Daughter.

Around June 2006, after an exhibition Soccer game he was playing, he started to feel off and kinda sick. After throwing up a couple of times, he went to the Doctor.

The start of July he was diagnosed with Cancer.

By August he had lost a majority of his bodyweight and muscle. He went from 250 to 150 in a month.

3 months after the original diagnosis, I remember sitting by the front door waiting for my school bus to come when my Father told me I wasn't going to school, before I could ask why, I heard my mother have a breakdown in the Kitchen. I knew what had happened.

I remember going to church the day before we went to the funeral. I still remember the faces of the people telling me he's in a better place now, that he's with 'Our heavenly father', that 'it's all part of God's plan'.

They were lying to me. I was young a dumb. I didn't really understand death, but I knew he didn't sprout wings and fly up into the clouds. I still remember how heartbroken I was, knowing everyone I love was lying to me... I just needed someone to tell me that he was gone but life will go on without him, it will be a little dimmer out in the world but the planet will keep on spinning.

No one ever did.

I lost my innocence while watching the casket being lifted. My father (the only other adult male in the world I loved) placed his hand on my shoulder, with tears in his eyes saying, "isn't it beautiful that he gets to be with 'Our heavenly Father' now?"

I left the church at 18 and have never looked back. I left the old world views behind and only kept the kindness that was instilled in me. And I will always show the support, love and respect that he showed me as a child. He will always be alive in my personality.

RIP Rob. Wherever you are, I'm sure your still hiding dirty diapers in people's pillows.... Jerk ;)

/r/AskReddit Thread