Eventually, my parents felt financially comfortable enough to have another child. They were very surprised and excited to find out they would be having two more! As we grew up, my parents had to juggle building their careers while raising children with a very large age gap. Although they expected us to live different lives than them because of financial stability and location, we became exposed to concepts and habits that they never envisioned for their children. For example, our parents did not expect that raising us in America would lead to us eating meat, drinking alcohol, my brother shortening his name to “Sam”, and having friends or partners of different races and religions. Despite this, they have adapted extremely well to our environment and prioritize our happiness over any other expectations.
Despite the efforts my parents made to raise us with the same perspectives and values as them, moving to the U.S. and acquiring more wealth has evidently affected not only our upbringing, but also our approach to adult life and the values we emphasize.
Shaili's Family 