keeping up with the Jonesses

When I was growing up, all I noticed was how important it was to show off, because that is what status meant. I saw my uncles buying BMWs and Mercedes, buying bungalows and my parents had to settle for mediocracy. We drove in a comfy toyota, did not possess any bungalows but we did go to the beach often. My parents I guess always had this inferiority complex in front of their relatives because they wanted to also have the luxury everyone else had. What pisses me off is the way my uncles behaved in front of them. The words they used to just want to show off their high status and reveal that they are above all with their luxury cars and big houses.
We moved to North America 13 years ago, in a way because my parents wanted to get out of that circle of bad influence where keeping up with the Jonesses was there to just make you have a sad life. Unfortunately, my parents had always been big victims all their lives and when people talked to them to just boast, they sadly took everything in and swallowed their tears. Only recently, has my mum realized how stupid living in a world where all people did was compete and show off was. She never really liked those that bossed and showed off, and her way of seeking revenge from everyone else was to hope that I became a Doctor, which never happened.
When I look at my parents, all I see is years of unhappiness and being brutally victimized because of the way people had acted. I can't see any scope of achievement and pride in what they have accomplished in their lives showing. They have always struggled to achieve things on their own by taking 100% responsbility, whereas others tended to have an easier life, where they got things for free. 
I must admit that I myself only recently realized that I still had this point of wanting to keep up with the Jonesses in me. Last month I was talking to my cousin who got married last year and he told me that at his wedding there were about 2000 people. That made me realize that my wedding is going to be really tiny in front of his and deep inside me, I felt this little pang of sadness or feeling pity for myself. I felt that I wanted to also have something big to celeberate,since it was the norm in my culture to have big weddings. I also felt that my parents were going to be really embarassed in front of other people that I was just here to have a small wedding, while all their nephews and nieces would have huge ones.
I ended up telling this to all my friends and coworkers. All of them told me that small weddings are more intimate and easier to have then big weddings where it is all about showing off. My one coworker whose sister got married told me she didn't even enjoy herself at her sister's wedding which comprised 1000 guests.
I then realized that bingo, they are right and all I was doing was comparing myself to my cousin wishing that it would be huge so that I don't  when in fact, deep inside, I never wanted anything huge. All I cared was I guess that I didn't want to lose face and feel inferior like my parents have all their lives in front of others.