My father is Punjabi, born in India. He met my mother, who is African- American, when he came to the United States. My parents divorced when I was five years old. Despite the split, I remained very close to my father’s side of the family. I learned about Indian traditions at a young age and how to speak fluent Punjabi.
Despite my father marrying outside the culture, He was still very strict. Growing up, I was not allowed to date. My entire life, I have had a lot of anxiety related to if I would ever find a man that lived up to my father’s exceptions.
Our love story began in February 2016. Jared and I met at an Urban League fundraiser. The day we met, I knew he would be my husband. He was funny, smart, hard-working, and the life of the party. We had similar life goals, and he was accepting and interested in learning about my mixed background.
We dated about a year. During that time, we discussed getting married. I decided to tell my father about him a couple of months after dating. Even though I was 34 years old, this was one of the scariest days of my life.
My father and I had never had a conversation about a man I was romantically interested in, so I was nervous about his reaction. Thankfully he was very accepting and happy that I met someone since I was beyond old for marriage by Indian standards.
We got married in September 2018 and had a hybrid Indian and American wedding. We now have a 14-month-old little boy who we are raising to be a kind, empathetic, and culturally competent human being.
Growing up, I felt like there was nobody Blindian like me to relate to and share my experiences with. I am beyond grateful to have found this community. I hope to connect with some of you in the near future and share more of my experiences.
📖: @preetstrip
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