Ties That Bind Us

The world today is filled with so much sham, anger, and detachment that it is downright scary. We all human beings want to belong and feel accepted in this society. The next subject which I'm going to discuss here is all about an Indian family. Family bonding is the most important, yet the most complex, I believe.

Can you imagine your house overrun with cousins, when your aunts, uncles and grandparents come to visit you on every holiday, spending the evening arguing about who is the best football player? Or a fight your way to the bathroom every morning when your dad, brother have to go at the same time you do? If shouting matches and arguments over housework with your parents are common occurrences in your family, don't worry. We all have our crazy family stories.

Family is a place where you'll get love, compassion, and support. This is a definition of what a family should be like. Obviously, the cons of having a big family have been mentioned nowhere. However, with all those troubles and contretemps, joint family is fun to be with.

You'll definitely find a shoulder to cry on, whenever you're down. But will have to face the whole bunch of craziness together whenever you make some mischief.

Want to date him? Go and get the approval of that bunch, otherwise keep it a secret, and be prepared to get caught red handed and face all those troubles.

Don't you dare to cut your "long" hair. Maashi will put you behind the bars.

Next come the family functions and hangouts. We always had a blast whether it's a casual evening "adda", sudden dinner plans or a long drive, or the grand family functions with the weirdest selfies, where torturous family photos are mandatory.

Next comes the huge list of classic family stories, inside jokes and family heritage. Recognizing the names of great-great-great grandfather's crushes is not a big deal. And the family WhatsApp group. There's hardly anyone who doesn't have a family WhatsApp group, where our mothers and Aunts get involve in bartering with our embarrassing childhood pictures.

As well as there are pros, there should be some cons as well. A big joint family is never complete without it's squabbles. Where there is peace, there is conflict. Whether it's elder sister who always upbraids to show you the right path, or whether it's your elder brother who always manages to find a way to protect you from her chastisements. From getting your leg pulled by your brother-in-law to partying together whole night, you'll have the best of memories and worst of fights. Having an annoying brother equals having a beast. Getting the TV remote from him is better feeling than winning a war.

The fact of the matter is, every person in this sphere has their own family issues, surely. For few may be family is not that important, and the drama, the outbreak, and eye-roll inducing quarrels can be overbearing. But it's also true that any kind of hardship is soon forgotten when replaced by the nostalgia of a full-hearted family.