I come from a service family with a set of liberal and forward-thinking parents, who, however, always upheld the norms of society. They inculcated in us three siblings the importance and necessity of a good education over the fluctuating value of money. I repeatedly heard my parents say, “Education is the best investment we’ve given […]
Financial Independence
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Published 21st Nov, 2022 | Last Updated 14th Dec, 2023I am the daughter of two immigrant parents who are, by all accounts, are a product of a successful arranged marriage, which will turn 50 in December. I was born in a small southern town in the US. My folks were among the first Indian families to grace the Blue Ridge Mountains. And for as […]
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Published 27th Oct, 2022 | Last Updated 14th Dec, 2023My daughter is graduating high school this Saturday and I’m wondering what to wear to the ceremony her school has luckily organized for the class of 2020. I should be thinking about what to say to her, words of wisdom she can carry to university and beyond, but it’s so much easier to pick a […]
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Published 23rd Sep, 2022 | Last Updated 14th Dec, 2023Cycling down the scenic Toronto Islands, the skyline emerges even clearer, as do the host of couples driving past me. I wonder if my ‘happily ever after’ too, would squeeze into prickly bicycling gear on an odd August morning for a weekend escape. All these years, my gaze was like the scattered light of a […]
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Published 20th Sep, 2022 | Last Updated 15th Dec, 2023My first ideas on marriage were borrowed from a partnership that lasted fifty-two years. It sounds like a lifetime. It very much is. I witnessed the old-world charm of love, longing, and loss all bundled in a lifespan and, more importantly, in my formative years. As a young Christian couple back in the sixties, my […]
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Published 20th Aug, 2020 | Last Updated 15th Dec, 2023The groom thanks the bride: “You have brought sacredness into my life, and have completed me. May we be blessed with noble and obedient children”. The bride swears to serve and please the groom to the best of her abilities. ‘I will shower you with joy. I will strive to please you in every way […]
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Published 20th Jul, 2020 | Last Updated 15th Dec, 2023The chant for the groom, “May we grow wealthy and prosperous and strive for the education of our children, and may they live long.” The bride promises, “I will love you for the rest of my life, as you are my husband. Every other man in my life will be secondary. I vow to remain […]
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Published 10th Jul, 2020 | Last Updated 15th Dec, 2023The groom says, “Together we will protect our house and children.” The bride promises, “I will be by your side as your courage and strength. I will rejoice in our happiness, and you will love me and me alone”. I was watching “The Sky is Pink” with my husband a few nights ago. It was […]
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Published 1st Jul, 2020 | Last Updated 15th Dec, 2023The groom says “I will cherish you, provide for you, be responsible for your happiness and welfare, and for children still to come.” The bride complies in return, I will take care of our home and our household, I will provide nourishment and be fiscally prudent. It was an enchanting idea, writing about the seven […]
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Published 10th Aug, 2020 | Last Updated 15th Dec, 2023“How did you decide to marry Papa?” My daughters have asked me this question so many times and they never seem to tire of the story. I had an arranged marriage and to them it has always seemed completely unfathomable and bizarre that you can marry someone you don’t know at all! Now when I […]