Leaving is never because of just one thing. Not really.  

It’s the result of a thousand, inconsequential 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 that all converge in a single moment of sudden, irreconcilable difference.  

For me, the eventual leaving of the religious community I grew up in began as a tiny question fluttering at the back of my mind.  

Back then, it was just one thing. It stood alone in its irregularity and I let it sit, like a bothersome pebble in my shoe, not fitting, never resolved. This question wasn’t the explosion, merely the spark; but when I cast my mind back to all the 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 that finally resulted in my departure, I get no further back than this question...   https://www.carrielloydshaw.com/leaving/