Written by: Admin_SheEvo
Being the eldest daughter in a Zimbabwean community is like being handed a crown and a mountain to carry at the same time. From the day I came into this world, it seemed like everyone expected the world from me.
It is a bit like being a stand-in mom. There’s this unwritten rule that I have to be the example for my younger siblings, that I have to get everything right, never making a mistake. It’s as if my role is to be a kind of blueprint for how they should live their lives. The pressure to excel in everything that I do is so high. It is not just about getting excelling in everything that I do, it is also about setting a standard so high that it feels almost impossible to reach. It is like my success isn’t just for me and it feels like I carry the weight of my family’s dreams and sacrifices on my shoulders.
It is also about how I carry myself, the way I talk and behave. There’s this constant reminder to always show respect, to be responsible, and to honour our traditions. It’s about being a walking symbol of honour for our family name. Sometimes, I wish I could just be a regular sibling in my family. To mess up a bit, learn from those mistakes without feeling like the whole neighbourhood is watching and judging. I wish I could explore life without worrying that one wrong move might damage our family’s reputation.
Despite all this pressure, there’s something inside me that feels proud of this role. I hold onto a quiet promise I made to myself—to walk this tightrope of expectations while still holding onto my dreams. It’s a tough path to walk between what my family expects and what I dream for myself. But in the middle of all this pressure, I’m discovering something important—resilience. I’m learning to balance on this tightrope, finding ways to be strong without losing myself in the process.
Each day feels like a test, but I’m learning, adapting, and figuring out that this journey isn’t just about being perfect. It’s about learning to embrace imperfections and find my own path in a world filled with expectations.
