Shaadi Season

When I sent out word of my own engagement to the extended Gill family in September, my mom's cousin Jabi sent back with his congratulations the observation that "it's definitely shaadi season for the Gill clan."


Jabi getting ready for his wedding.

In the last year, six of us have gotten married--Winkle, me, Jabi, Pawan, Sukhpal, and then eleven days ago Naveen. That's a lot of weddings, especially for a culture in which weddings are a major social event.

I missed the three (Jabi's, Pawan's, and Sukhpal's) that took place in India, but Nicole, Kira and I attended all three U.S. ones. Since this most recent wedding, I've been thinking about what the weddings themselves say about our family's position across continents and cultures, and of course the decades of distance between generations that any family must negotiate.


Naveen and her parents on the recent wedding day.
Photo by my sister, Vilo Elisabeth Westwood.

Coming up, thoughts on the recent Gill clan shaadi season and our moment in history.