I am a 23 year old smart and independent girl. If you ask me ‘what kind of partner would you like in your life?’ then my first thought is my independence, individualism, career plans and current responsibilities should not depend on him. I should be able to ‘be me’ and still connect with him rather than loosing my identity and becoming what he wants.
But this is all talk. I had fallen prey to the ‘default thought and thinking of Indian women’ that has been followed in Indian culture, according to which ‘your husband is the center of your life’ and ‘ you should do all in your power to make him happy’. I did not exactly get married, but in many ways almost did. I committed myself to a BF in college and before I knew it I was always thinking of how to make things work with him, his family and what will life be after marriage. It was like my brain went on ‘Automatic Pilot’ mode and said I know what to think of now ‘HIM only’. I didn’t even remember what all I wanted ou of my life. Every event, everything i wanted was all dependent on him.
Now that I think about it, it was such a deteriorating state of mind and I will never repeat this again. Never loose my individualism for any other individual. Not that I will not be in a relationship/marriage ever, but I will never forget myself in them.
Its strange but true, we’ve seen our mother, grandmothers, aunts and almost every women around us build her life around her spouse and it has been set into our minds that this is how it is. But no more, not for me, not for the next generations to come. It is so important to hold onto yourself and while change is a part of life, so is ‘unique identity’. You should never have to be introducing yourself wihtout knowing who you are to yourself. I want to keep ‘me’ alive, my dreams, aspirations, hobbies and all that ‘I’ am now and today.
And companionship to me still means ‘care and trust’ but on both ends, love is a still ‘love to die for’ but not ‘love to give up your life for’.
Hope to find what I’m looking for and more, someday..but not today ![]()
