The Daughter Has a Mind of Her Own
By Xavier Bage
@franxav (14150)
India
May 30, 2025 10:33am CST
The earlier we know and accept it the better for her and for us.
Cultures in different parts of the earth are different. Family values in the east are different from those in the west. Times are changing fast too. Children of this millennium think differently than we parents of the last millennium.
Birds fly out of the nest. This may be the norm in the west. We in India tend to keep our children near us even when they grow up and have families of their own.
Until one year ago, I was of the conviction that my one and only daughter is deeply attached to her parents. She will never leave us and go away anywhere.
But I am compelled to change my conviction. Not that she has gone away but from her words I have come to realise that she has a mind of her own. She has her own plans and she has priorities of her own.
Nothing unnatural, nothing wrong, nothing extraordinary in the changing world. She has completed her MBBS and she is an intern in a hospital. She is intelligent and strong after four and a half years of rigorous studies and training. This shows in the way she speaks.
The maximum we parents hoped that she would take up a job in a government hospital, get married and settled in our state and live with us in our house.
But....
Last evening, she expressed her wish to work in Australia! She has her own ideas of marriage and family.
As for me, I believe , I must prepare for a time when my child will not be before my eyes .
10 people like this
8 responses
@xFiacre (13691)
• Ireland
30 May
@franxav My wife has a very hard time with this issue. We have a daughter in Scotland and one in England. We have two sons who live close by, but daughters are different. Our fifth (and final) child is a girl who will always be at home with us because she is learning disabled - Down syndrome. She really is a blessing.
5 people like this
@Ineeddentures (2355)
•
30 May
Yes indeed.
The times they are a changing.
i know that you will miss her badly,
It's not something I ever gave much thought about as our culture when I was growing up was we would leave school and leave the family home quite young
I joined the army at 16.
Mind you, these days kids here are staying at home longer because they cannot get a house of their own as easily as our generation could.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (64591)
• Centralia, Washington
31 May
It's very hard. My daughter lives in another state. She is middle aged now. It's like her childhood never happened. We rarely and I mean rarely physically see her though she keeps in contact via emails.
@JudyEv (354737)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 May
I am sorry for your situation. You must be finding it very difficult to come to terms with. But, just maybe, if you can let her go with your blessing and try not to hang on to her too tightly, she will come back to you in time
On a lighter note, please tell her WA is the best state to come too - and we could maybe help her settle in. 
@cabuyogty (3684)
• Philippines
30 May
Good for your daughter and to your family. It's a good opportunity to work in other countries like Australia because of the bigger income there. Have a nice day!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (146621)
• India
31 May
Glad you have accepted this decison of your daughter It is not easy but at the same time there is nothing you can do
@RasmaSandra (85459)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 May
It is good that she wants to stand on her own two feet and has ideas about what she would like to do,
