Am I losing my mind?
Hey everyone! Apologies for the lengthy post—just needed to share my thoughts (one of the reasons I started this account) and see if anyone else feels the same way. A little background: My parents are both from Italy, and I grew up in a very traditional, conservative household. I've always been taught that I should find a nice Italian man, start a family, and "preserve our culture." When I turned 16, my parents introduced me to a family friend’s son who was 18. He seemed really sweet, and the fact that my parents approved of him was a bonus. Now, at 22, and he's 24, we're living together but aren’t married. I’ve always seen myself as a nurturing partner, a future housewife, supporting the man I love. However, after he got a job in law enforcement, I've noticed some alarming changes in him. He's become insecure, angry, and even shows signs of being borderline racist, which is really unsettling. On his days off, he’s either gaming or drinking with his colleagues. To make matters worse, I recently discovered he was unfaithful. Growing up, I was taught to keep relationship issues private, so I haven’t confided in anyone about this. I genuinely find joy in cooking, cleaning, and embodying that traditional wife role, but I’ve learned he doesn’t want kids, and we’ve barely discussed marriage. I’ve also come to realize that I thrive with a partner who is confident and decisive—someone I can trust to lead. My boyfriend often feels the need to prove his masculinity using his badge and Italian heritage, which feels troubling to me. I believe a real man doesn’t need to justify his manhood. All of this came to a head recently during a conversation with my mom and cousin. She mentioned dating a nice Latino guy, and my dad overheard, making comments about how he couldn't accept me being with someone outside our culture. This really hit me hard. I despise any form of racism or bigotry (my dad even reprimanded me for defending the decision to replace Columbus Day with recognition for Indigenous people), so I’m left feeling trapped. It feels like I have to choose between staying in this tumultuous relationship or returning home to an environment where I'm constantly controlled and treated like a child. Am I overreacting? Sorry for the long rant!