Personal Narrative: Coming From An Americanized Indian Family

This I Believe
Coming from an americanized Indian family, there is one custom that always stuck: no dating. It came to that point in high school where I finally got my first boyfriend and while I could willingly tell my mother and sibling, my dad does not know to this day. It became so hard for me to separate my 2 lives that I started to cut my family out of the picture because I felt as if with my boyfriend, Ben, I could be myself with no lying. As this hole in my heart formed from missing my family, I started to rely on Ben to fill that gap and make me happy and that’s where it began. It is senior year of highschool, when college admissions are due and stress is at it’s highest. With all this ahead of me, my family decided to plan a month
long trip to India in December that I began to dread more than taking the SAT for the 5th time. I continued to tell my family that I didn’t want to go because I’d be missing so much school and trying to finish all my applications due at the end of the month, but me and my mom both knew the real reason I didn’t want to leave was because I couldn’t go a day without my boyfriend. I became so hateful towards my family as I thought they were trying to take me away from my only source of happiness.
I continued to fight them and say that I would not even set foot on that plane. My mom and brothers continued to support me even when I resented them while my father was so disappointed because he had no clue what was going on and honestly, no one really did. It had been 3 long days into my India trip and I was miserable. I continued to be rude and sleep through my days. I finally had an event I was looking forward to: the elephant ride. Heading up to the Jaipur fort on my baby elephant with a smile becoming plastered on my face as the sun’s light warmed my body, I felt whole. I felt as if all the pain and emptiness left my heart. Then it hit me that I don’t have to be miserable because neither Ben nor my family create my happiness, I do. I made the decision to stop moping around and appreciate where I was and all that my family had done to support me.
From that point on I continued to explore India in mezmiration and pure joy. I even ended up having a an enjoyable time with my father because even though we have different ideals and lived separate lives, I decided to make the most of the time we had. I have carried myself for the last few months as I am so much stronger than I knew. My boyfriend recently left for the Navy, putting a big strain on my regular day to day life but I continue to move forward and be happy because I said so and I deserve
it.
I hope others read my story and realize that we all create our own happiness. Don’t rely on one person for joy while shutting out others in the process. Your friends and family are all there to support your happiness not create it.