We are Inderjeet Kaur and Param Singh Bedi, now 67 and 68 years old, and we are from Punjab, India. We came to the United States in 2020, never imagining that such a journey would become part of our story so late in life. But life surprises you. What we thought was a temporary move became five unforgettable years of growth, reflection, and deep connection, both with each other and with this new land.
I, Inderjeet, grew up in a warm household in Punjab. My father was in the military, so our family moved often. We traveled on weekends, went to the movies, played ludo and hide and seek. I was the eldest of five, one sister who passed away and three younger brothers. With that came responsibility, but also a strong sense of love and structure. My parents were kind and caring, and I had a very happy childhood.
Param, my husband, also had a joyful childhood in Punjab. He’s the middle child among three brothers and two sisters. After school, he got into business and began shaping his life early on. After we married, we moved to Iran for six years, where we lived a full and rich life before returning to India due to the political situation and the tragic passing of my sister.
We married in 1980 through an arranged marriage. Our villages were nearby and our families knew each other. Param was 23, and I was 22 and a half, just six months younger. I had seen him once at someone’s home, and then he came to visit our house with his family. I remember how surreal it felt. As a girl, I loved seeing brides all dressed up; I never thought one day it would be me. When we married, I felt nervous but excited. From the beginning, we became friends, and that foundation of friendship is what carried us through the rest of our lives.
Together, we raised three sons, two are married now, and the youngest is preparing to marry soon. I became a housewife, and Param continued in business. We built a life together, not just in one place, but across many: in Punjab, in Iran, and eventually in the United States. Every move came with challenges, but we always adjusted together.
In 2020, our business was struggling, and we were actually planning to send our son to the United States. But destiny had a different plan, we ended up coming instead. It was just the two of us. At first, we were excited. But very quickly, COVID hit. We found ourselves alone, unemployed, and unsure of what to do next. It was a scary time.
And then came Balvinder, our old neighbor from Punjab, now a true angel in our lives. She encouraged us not to go back immediately and introduced us to SAN. From the very beginning, SAN felt like a safe haven. Whenever we felt lost, confused, or overwhelmed, we came to SAN’s office or to Balvinder’s home. The support we received during that time, we will never forget it for the rest of our lives.
Eventually, we found jobs. We even managed to get jobs at the same place. It was a little funny, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions we made. We had the same schedule, could take time off together, go to doctor’s appointments together, even shop together. Slowly, our life in America began to feel a little more like home.
But home, to us, has never been a place, it has always been each other. Param worked in real estate and built many houses in his life. But no matter where we lived or how much we had, we always believed that home was where we were together. Even when times were hard, when we had only salt and roti to eat, we were happy, because we had each other. That’s what real companionship means.
Now, after five years, we are returning to India. We want to build a small home in India, travel within our country, visit gurdwaras, and spend our days in quiet gratitude. We no longer carry big dreams or desires, just two rotis and good health is enough for us.
I love to cook, and Param loves to eat everything I make. We have always been together, in love, in work, in hard times, and in joy. He has never disrespected me, and I’ve always felt seen and valued. He often says that only a few people are lucky enough to have a wife like me. But I feel the same about him. We’ve never spent a single day apart, and we’ve always faced life as one unit.
We believe love should be the foundation of everything. Our advice to younger generations is this: respect each other, trust each other, give space but never grow distant. Learn to understand each other’s feelings and communication styles. Life will bring hardship, but when you hold each other up instead of pulling away, you will get through anything. We’ve had wealth and struggle, we’ve laughed together and cried together. And through it all, we’ve stayed side by side.
If I could meet my younger self, I’d say, look how far you’ve come. I was once a protected girl who never thought she would see the world. And now, we’ve built homes across continents, lived through history, and loved through every chapter.
We’ve lived a long journey, and we’re so proud of it. We didn’t just build houses, we built a life. And at the heart of it all, we built each other. We are going home now, not with regret, but with full hearts and deep peace.
Because in the end, home isn’t a place. Home is each other.
