So my extended family recently hosted a ceremony. I thought it would include mostly prayer and offerings, as I did for my other family ceremonies.
However, the ceremony required me to experience two of the most discomforting things in my life: first, the ceremonial animal slaughter and second, having to drink a sip of gomutra (cow urine) for the blessing.
I am not judging those who believe in the customs. I can see that they hold great significance to some families. However, for me personally, I didn’t know how to interact with this kind of experience when I saw it. At that point, I felt my heart racing and the pressure in my chest increase.
I talked to my parents about how uncomfortable I felt, but it was quite obvious that they were disappointed with me and didn’t speak to me for most of the day after that.
I was encouraged by a number of my relatives to participate in the ceremonial tradition to show respect to my ancestors and avoid bad karma, but I ultimately decided to abstain from it. I didn’t argue or defend my position; instead, I removed myself from the ritual area and remained away from the group for the remainder of the ceremony.
To this day, I feel like I have offended those family members and committed an unforgivable crime.
AITA for drawing a boundary during a ritual I genuinely couldn’t handle?