India has always been a family-oriented culture. While the modern Western civilisations are more into personal ambitions; in this part of the world, we try to maintain and bring forward to the upcoming generations what we have imbibed from our ancestors: grand family structures with members of all ages staying together in all goods and bads.
Which of your family members do you spend the most time with? Describe your experience of being with them Essay
With the onset of 21st Century and rapid industrialisation in most parts of the world, there has been rise of consumerism and shift to industrialised places which are mostly huge cities and metropolitans away from homes. This in turn gave rise to nuclear families or solo living away from the huge family set-up due to work culture. Though in some cases we see that when the present grandparents’ generation came to cities in the 20th Century due to work, they have settled ad started their families in here, and at present have their children and grandchildren all staying together; this is not always the case. Especially in India and this subcontinent as a whole where most families are till now dependent on agriculture and allied sectors for their economic stabilities. At present, India has about 53% of its population dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. These people live in rural areas, and it is seen that some of those families’ members, mostly young men come to cities for alternate sources of livelihood: especially in the construction sector, while most of the female members stay back in the villages to continue with farming and house maintenances. Hence, families got fragmented mostly due to work issues even if they’re temporary or permanent in cases.
I belong to a nuclear family with my mother and father as the only members with me in my household. While I do visit my extended family every week, still my parents are my immediate family. Hence, quite naturally these two people are the ones I spend the most time with. While my father had served in the state government before his retirement, my mother is a housewife. People would think that I would be the closest to my mother since I have spent most of my time with her, it is not the case. I am equally close to either of my parents.
Every person you are connected to in your life has a different space with you. It is my belief that one person’s space and importance in your life can never be replaced by another. We have different ways of comfort with different people. Similarly, both my parents have their own importance in my life. Growing up, as is the case with most girls, I was extremely close to my father and always yearned to spend time with him. As years passed by, I got closer to my mother since I could relate myself to her biologically and due to societal expectations.
I am more like my father behaviourally and mentally. So I always tend to consult him regarding my life choices. When I feel I need guidance, he is the person I literally run to. We have different ideas regarding situations but try to understand each other, and that has helped me to develop the feeling of open-mindedness. He is a great cook, so naturally from childhood I’ve never had felt cooking and housework as a women-centric. Thus, he and his ways have always made me question societal norms and look at them in new light.
My mother and I have a sweet and sour relationship. I was scared of her in my teens, as most children are; but she is the one whom I mostly relate to. With age, we see everything differently, and I’ve understood her choices that she took more clearly. She taught me selflessness, in the same time she taught me how to self-love. I try to make my own choices according to what she thinks her mistakes were when she was in her youth. She taught me the importance of being independent and how I should never compromise with my well-being.
While both my parents have different spaces in my life, they both are the ones who make me feel happy and protected. I feel ‘peace’ being with my parents: my family.
Related Article: