<p>jdshopa, I wish I were there to give you a hug. From your post it is obvious that you are an articulate, intelligent, sensitive young woman. A daughter such as yourself would make any parent proud. I am sorry that you had such a blow-up with your own parents. I am sure they wish they had handled it differently. Sometimes parents react in such a way that doesn’t show their love or compassion.</p>
<p>That being said, you have done nothing wrong. I really feel that you have displayed great strength. You know you do not want to be a doctor, and the field you thought you were interested in has not turned out the way you had hoped. What maturity to be able to say you are still searching. And guess what? You should be…you are only nineteen years old! There is no law saying that you need to know exactly what you want to do at this point. You may not know that for a while. Make the most of your undergraduate years and pick a major that interests you. That doesn’t mean that you are married to it forever. I graduated as an English major and got a job in an investment bank right out of college. Granted, that was twenty-three years ago…but stranger things have happened. My point is don’t limit yourself.</p>
<p>I intend to get off of my soapbox shortly, but I want to say two more things. It is your life. Hopefully your parents will come around to your way of thinking, but either way you must act on the things that make you happy. They love you and want you to be happy. Right now they may not understand your choices, but they are your choices. You must live the life you want and derive happiness from it because that is what is important. Living a life for someone else will only lead to heartache.</p>
<p>Finally, any parent would be proud to have you as a daughter. You are a lot stronger than you think! Please do seek some counseling at your school because many others have been in your shoes and you should not feel isolated. You are not alone. I care about you. I know that one day you will look back on this and see it as a bump on the map of your life. It very well may turn out to be a defining moment…and you will rise to the occasion. Big hug and lots of luck!</p>