STAR DIARY

Just Another Family 

Living in a joint family, with members from many generations, under one roof brings more of everything- more love, more care and sometimes more boundaries and expectations. For me living in an extended family consisting of my family, my uncle's family, my grandmother, is sometimes advantageous. In our family my grandmother works as a big support system and has a strong influence in many facets of my life. But every now and then there is always expectation that you should do certain things and you must refrain from certain things- and travelling alone is one of them. Both my parents and my uncle-aunts are highly educated, but they are way too protective as they think I am incapable of taking decisions. I have a job that requires a lot of travelling which has become a matter of concern for them. They say they support my decision to travel, but they also keep mentioning how anxious they are. This time when I had an opportunity of travelling abroad for a month, my father did not agree at all. I had a talk with my grandmother who is in her 70s but has always supported us in pursuing our dreams. She brought this conversation over dinner, and told my father why it is wrong for them to make me feel negative about my choices. "Do not bust boundaries and let her learn the boundaries through trial and error. We should encourage her to explore what the world has to offer" she said. My father was not fully convinced with her, but he let me go anyway and it was one of the best trips that I had so far.

Fahima Huda
Banani, Dhaka

An Unusual Sight

This Mother's day, my whole family and I went to dinner at a restaurant in Gulshan. I suddenly noticed a young couple sitting near us, who brought their maid, aged 10-12, with them for dinner. It is a common sight for us to see family having meals in city's well-known eateries, while their maids stand far away from them, taking care of the children. While in most cases we don't give our staff a seat at the table, these kind souls were actually treating their maid with respect and asking the young girl what kind of food she would like to have for herself. What surprised me most was they planned this dinner exclusively for her, and all they were doing the entire time was trying to get to know her better, asking about her likes and dislikes and making her laugh. They were teaching her how to gently slice her food with a knife, and asking if she liked the food or not. They were treating her like a part of their family and I was really impressed with their level of kindness. 

Nahela Bahar
Lalmatia, Dhaka