You need to first answer an important question -- what matters most for your long-term happiness?
Your parents' wishes or staying with a partner you love, asks rediffGURU Kanchan Rai, founder of the Let Us Talk Foundation.
Falling in love can get complicated when your parents don't see your partner in the same way as you do.
What can you do when your parents disapprove of your partner due to their age, background or career?
Should you choose a partner based on your parents' expectations or should you choose someone who makes you feel safe and happy?
rediffGURU Kanchan Rai, a relationship coach and founder of the Let Us Talk Foundation, urges youngsters to be patient and courageous while making a life decision.
Anonymous: My partner and I have been together for the past six years.
He is very confident about marrying me but my family is not supporting us.
Everyone is against us and, due to that, I'm not able to decide what I should do.
My family wants a guy in a government job but my partner is an NRI.
Though he went abroad three years ago, we still have the same bond.
Since everyone is against me, I'm in a dilemma whether I'm making the right decision or not. Please help me out with this.
Your family's concern about your life partner having a government job comes is because they consider it a place of security, stability and social acceptance.
Parents often want what they believe is 'safe' for their child's future and a government job symbolises that for them.
On the other hand, an NRI partner can also offer stability and opportunities even if it doesn't fit into your family's idea of security.
The real question for you is: What matters most for your long-term happiness?
Ask yourself: Do you feel respected, supported and emotionally safe with your partner?
Do you believe he will stand by you through life's ups and downs?
If the answer is yes, then that is worth more than any job title.
At the same time, think about whether you are emotionally prepared to navigate family opposition if they remain firm.
Love alone is not enough; it takes courage, clarity and sometimes patience to bring families around or to move forward despite their resistance.
You are not wrong for wanting to choose love and you are not wrong for worrying about family acceptance either.
What you need right now is to step away from the noise and ask yourself: Ten years from now, what decision will you regret less -- staying with a partner you love deeply, even if it means conflict with your family, or leaving him just to meet their expectations?
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