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A 28-year-old Malaysian woman recently shared a personal struggle that many adult children can identify with: she's doing okay — but in her parents' eyes, it's still not enough
In an anonymous post on local Facebook page XUAN Play, the woman revealed that she chose to stay and work in Malaysia after graduating.
"My monthly salary is about RM7,000 a month — it's not a lot, but enough for a modest, comfortable life.
"I'm single, I have my own space, and I have time to do things I love. Honestly, I'm quite content with the life I have now," she wrote.
Image for illustration purposes only.
Image via pressfoto/FreepikBut despite all this, she shared that her parents often pressure her to move to Singapore for higher pay and better job prospects
They even compare her to cousins and relatives who have "made it" abroad and settled down.
"I know they mean well. They're worried life will be hard for me in the future, that I'm 'falling behind from the starting line'.
"But I really don't want to leave. I like this city that I'm familiar with. I have my own pace, my friends, and a sense of life here," she wrote.
Still, every time she visits home, the topic of money often comes up.
"They start to get anxious, and I end up feeling wronged. They think I'm being stubborn, but I feel like I'm just standing by the life I've chosen," she said.
Image for illustration purposes only.
Image via Mikail Ong/New Straits TimesTo avoid the constant tension, she admitted she's been going home less often — knowing that family conversations always seem to circle back to the same familiar questions:
"When are you going to Singapore?" "What's your plan if you stay like this?"
She confessed that the questions have begun to wear her down.
"The more they talk, the quieter I get, and the sadder I feel," she shared.
Her parents often insist they're only doing it "for her own good", but she wishes they could see that while her path may look different, it's no less responsible
"I work hard, I save diligently, and I live a stable life. I just don't make a lot of money, that's all.
"Sometimes, I feel really confused and powerless. In their eyes, is a child only considered 'successful' if they earn a lot and move far away?" she wondered.
She ended her post by asking others what they think.
As the only child in her family, she didn't have anyone else to share these feelings with. So, she posted her story online, wondering if others could relate.
