Journey of a Sikher: To beard or not to beard...

I have the same thoughts as Journey of a Sikher: To beard or not to beard...., there is no feeling which can equal the feeling of air freely moving through an open beard! Though I haven't tied my beard, never technically anyways - haven't used a product or such, other than once or twice in beard's formative years, but recently there has been pressure from family to tie it up for family function! What I don't understand is, if I can keep it open for the outside non-family world, why do I need to worry when with family! Just FYI, I tie my beard with a 'thatha' just after a bath, gives it a sort-of-tidier look than a completely open one!

My beard is a part of me, it is part of my identity and it is a part of my uniqueness, it connects me to something so special. It is a prevalent part of my face, in fact between the beard and turban I am just a set of eyeballs and nose! I belong to something greater than just trying to look great for society; I am trying to look my best for something better something higher and something that means much more than this. My entire image belongs to something else, it is not mine, what a dent to an ego that is, when you fail to be able to even have your own image

I have been trying to explain it to my family that

Tying a beard properly takes time and effort; it also takes a lot of patience as anyone who has styled hair knows that every day is different. Depending on the humidity or other factors each day was/is a challenge

also when I travel to Gurgaon (1 hour each side with my face covered) my beard seems to be quite set, because of the hot air; and even if I consider the same time frame but in AC (car or metro) it's not going to be same! They think & hope that I will understand their argument with time; its been, what, some 8 years of time now :) And I keep on hoping that they will be OK with my non-argument on the same!