"You're not dating for your mom. You're dating for you."

Overheard from a gay POC dating coach speaking with his straight female client.

She was asking permission to date outside her culture.

Permission. To live her own life.

We talked after. She's not religious. She knows what she wants. But she still needed someone to tell her it was okay.

He said it perfectly: "This is your life. Your dating preference isn't your mother's. Date who you like. Only you decide who you marry."

Here's what struck me: An adult seeking validation for her own choices. Not because she's weak—because cultural weight is real.

Because family expectations live in our bones.

Sometimes we need permission to want what we want.

Sometimes the bravest thing is choosing yourself.

Even when it disappoints the people who raised you.

#GhostBride #SpookyCute #TrueStory #RelationshipCoaching #ControllingMom

Here's something I wrote about The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (which I loved). It's about a scene written out of order to create a sort of ghost of itself, but I also talk about scene building more generally--how it's usually done, the effect that has, and what can happen when you choose something different. (To be clear, I like all ways!)

https://bit.ly/GhostBrideOutOrder

#WritingCommunity #Writing #SceneBuilding #WritingCraft #ReadingLikeaWriter #GhostBride