ExposedNYC

My mom called me last Sunday night saying, “Guess what- you’re brother’s getting married!” Considering that my boss had already tried to fake fire me and a friend had pulled a similarly unbelievable stunt, I was on to her and didn’t buy it for more than a nano-second.

Then she continued with stories of how she had done the same thing to my grandparents earlier in the day, with no avail. Note to mom: it would be helpful if said brother was even dating someone to make this a little more plausible.

But what she said next broke my heart just a little. She woke my dad up early in the morning to start this joke saying I was getting married. According to mom, he was ecstatic for a minute, and she had to abandon the joke pretty quickly.

My parents are usually not the type to put pressure on me to settle down unless I’m ready, except of course with requests for grandchildren. Overall, they are supportive and I know they just want me to be happy. But, in that moment of picturing my father’s happy face, I felt a pang of guilt.

I am much more likely than my brother to be the first in the family to get married, and I don’t see it happening anytime soon. They say that in every good joke lies a hint of truth, and this light-hearted anecdote reminded me that finding someone would not only be a relief to myself, but to my family’s unspoken desires. I can only hope to make them proud someday.

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