| The parents had planned to go on
a long holiday, the first in a decade, after the eldest son got married. The son
got married but the holiday did not materialize. The daughter-in-Iaw,
though intelligent and fairly educated, did not demonstrate such a commanding
personality with fair degrees of self-confidence as would enable her to take care
of the house and exercise control over the younger brothers of the husband during
the absence of their parents. The daughter-in-Iaw herself doubted
her ability to manage. She thought it wise and safe to avoid the responsibility
though she sadly knew that she was becoming the cause for the parents of the house
to miss their long anticipated holiday. Her husband too was extremely disappointed.
If the daughter-in-law lacked self-confidence it is because
she, as a daughter a daughter in her family, was groomed and prepared that way
through parental neglect or lack of foresight or both owing to ignorance on the
part of her father. There is now cost
a cost of her respect in the eyes
of her parent-in-laws or even worse
her happiness of matrimony. The
father in his relation and conduct with his two children, the daughter the elder
and son the younger, he had more time for the son. They had topics of common interest
to talk. The main topic was sports and in the course of discussion other topics,
like the son's school and his friends. the son's aspirations then crept in during
the father's leisure time and at meals, often in the presence of the daughter.
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