Love is a profound connection that brings two people together, often transcending barriers of culture, race, and background. Finding someone who honors and loves all parts of you and with whom you feel a sense of deep connection can feel exhilarating and overwhelming in all the right ways. Logically, when we find such a person, we experience the kind of joy we can’t wait to share with our family members, and we assume they will automatically embrace the person we’ve chosen to love. We believe they will see what we see, they will love who we love.
This is why realizing that your family doesn’t and won’t embrace your partner can be absolutely devastating. This kind of pain is deep, and it affects not only your partner but also yourself, your family dynamics, and your relationship.
Not understanding why your family won't accept your partner can make matters worse, and can lead to intense conflict, with both sides firmly entrenched in their perspectives and refusing to budge. Having some level of awareness as to why they're hesitating to embrace your partner may help alleviate some of that conflict.
For example, your family's disapproval may stem from their own deep-rooted beliefs, cultural norms, and personal biases that are tied to sacred family values inherited from previous generations. Perhaps your family is afraid that you’re straying from the path they envisioned that aligns with said beliefs, causing them to become fiercely protective of you and of their worldviews. Perhaps they have seen you suffering from a poor choice in partners in the past, and they no longer trust you or your judgment and want to protect you from further harm.
It’s important to recognize that, in so many cases, disapproval may not necessarily be about your partner as a person, but rather about fear,........