The Former Mrs. Tan

Pressure From My Family

Just after my 27th birthday, my eldest sister, Angela, and her family arrived here for a two-week Asia-Pacific tour.

My parents invited my other sister, Lisa, and her family to join us for lunch. Suddenly, we were hosting a reunion. Although getting together like this was fun, it became stressful for me when my family started poking at my private life.

"You don't have a boyfriend yet?" asked Angela.

"I'm dating someone," I replied. "But I don't call Herbert my 'boyfriend'. I would rather say that he's my good friend who happens to be a boy," I continued, sounding a bit flippant.

"What do you really want from life?" asked Dad seriously.

"To be successful," I immediately answered.

I wanted to move on to the next topic or else I would find myself being grilled again.

"And what do you mean by successful?" he continued.

"You know, having money, which I have, having a good job, which I also have and I'm planning to climb on top, by the way."

"How about having your own family?" asked Mom.

"Mom, I'm not thinking about that. yet," I answered.

"Well, you should be," my mother said. "You're not getting any younger."

"And I cannot be successful by just being single, huh?" I asked them.

"Irene," Angela answered. "The true essence of a woman is becoming a mother."

"That's true, baby sister," Lisa, who was seated beside me, agreed as she tapped my hand.