American Born Confused Sikh

Dear Future Navi (and any other future kids I may have), As you already know, mommy isn't from here. Mommy is from the United States of America! It's why I pronounce several words differently from you. It's why I make delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that none of your friends probably eat. It's also why I currently can't drive in this country! (Although hopefully by the time you read this I will have finally mastered those tricky roundabouts and I'll be driving us around everywhere!)  Some say that the U.S.A. is the best country in the world! But as of today in October of 2023, when it comes to having babies and maternity care, it might actually be one of the worst countries in the world. To start out with, to have a baby in the UK is free! It's all covered under the NHS. So no matter what, whether you have a vaginal delivery or a c-section, no matter how many days you stayed in the hospital, no matter how much toast and tea you have, it's fr...

 Dear Future Navi (and any other future children I may have), This is going to be a tough blog but it will be one of the most important ones for you and for myself (mainly to keep myself accountable when the time comes!) But I want you to know that I am going to love you no matter what you do in life, no matter what you decide, no matter how you live your life. Please allow me to explain further. . . .  My generation received a lot of conditions from our parents. We were told to get married and have kids by a certain time. We were told what school, college, or university to go to. What degree to get and what profession to go into. We were told to focus purely on money when it comes to our career and even our future partner. We were told what we could and couldn't do in life in general and it kind of sucked. (I do forgive our prior generations though as most of them were immigrants living in survival mode.) But I don't want to pass all of that on to you. So, here is what I have...

Dear Future Navi, In life you will have a lot of difficult obstacles to overcome. Studying for final exams. Getting into a good college or university. Finding and obtaining a really good job. Finding "The One." Planning a wedding. Correction. Planning an Indian wedding! But nothing, and I mean nothing, will be more difficult then those first few weeks following child birth. . . .  As you know, I had a c-section with you. And I was so thankful that I didn't get any side effects like life long numb legs or blood clots or you know, death! But, the first 6 to 8 weeks following a c-section are tough. I had to take very strong pain killers around the clock. I had to inject my stomach with some medicine that prevented blood clots. (I think it was a blood thinner, I don't remember, so much was going on in those weeks!) I couldn't get out of bed without your Dad's help. Standing, walking, leaning, and moving in general were just hard. My back was always in pain becaus...