I practice Taoism and my boyfriend is Christian. That’s fine with us, but not so much with my grandma.
One day, my boyfriend and I were sitting on the couch while my grandma was sitting next to us, sewing. Without looking up, she said in our native Mien language: “Kasey, tell him to receive Tao.” That’s a ceremony at our temple — you kneel in front of an altar and recite a prayer in Mandarin.
My boyfriend and I had just started dating, but that didn’t stop my grandma from pushing our beliefs on him. I don’t believe in forcing beliefs onto people, but I’m caught in the middle.
My grandma is a mother figure to me, and I want to make her proud. I don’t think my boyfriend should have to convert but I know that if he doesn’t my grandma will never stop nagging.
For the past 20 years I’ve listened to my grandma and followed her rules but I’m just starting to realize that when it comes to my dating life, I’m going to have to take charge.