Another Valentineβs Day, and Iβm single. I donβt know whether to feel proud for βobeyingβ my parents or just quietly lonely. Maybe both.
Today my mom gave me a three-hour lecture about how love destroys careers. My dad has made it clear he would disown me if I ever went against their expectations. And my grandmother casually talks about marrying me off in my late teens like Iβm some life goal she wants to tick off.
Itβs strange .... being spoken about like a future event instead of a person.
I donβt want to be rushed into someone elseβs timeline. I donβt want my life to be managed like a project plan. I want loyalty. I want someone who stands beside me in my worst moments, not just a marriage arranged to satisfy tradition.
Right now, the only person in my family I feel safe leaning on is my mom. And even then, it feels complicated.
Iβm still figuring out what I believe about love... But I know this: my life is not a deadline... My heart is not a family obligation... And I deserve the right to choose when .. and if... I love.
For now, Iβm choosing myself...though it stingss