"Our children left before we did...."

Fine, CAELew, great, but by mentioning it again and again you are only imitating the criticism of other ex-Catholics who have left earlier (and find a need to post it). Kind of dull to know, read over and over again which of the two categories (ex-Catholic or Catholic) you (and others) are part of. So redundant. It seems your "exit" or "leaving" beguiles the hurt, gripe or pain of it, repeatedly, repetitiously?? So why keep bringing it up? If your children left, and you did later, why imitate yourself by mentioning it again (alluding as you have in earlier posts)! Just move on! Get a life! It's not like on the Day of Judgment you'll need a Catholic rough draught of your earlier self to be able to find your body again. I am sure the new sketch of yourself, as it were, as an ex-Catholic will be fine with the Lord, especially if you have followed his mandate, as spelled out in Matthew 25. But if you haven't, I am sure God's mercy will outdo ours.