I’ve been blessed with 15 years of marriage to this incredible woman.

When my mother met her, she gave her blessing — and for me, that was all I needed to take the leap. Three months after meeting, at just 20 and 18 years old, we began our life together with open hearts, a positive attitude, and a deep willingness to learn.

At the time, my philosophy on marriage was simple:

A woman should respect the man, and the man must be worthy of that respect.

I was upfront with her.

I told her I had a lot of growing to do — that I hadn’t yet reached the standard I expected of myself.

But if she supported me on my quest to unlock my potential, I would dedicate myself to becoming a better and better partner with each passing day.

It wasn’t easy.

She stuck by me through the storms, the silence, the setbacks.

Through every hard season, she stayed.

Two years in, our first son was born.

His arrival lit a fire in me — to begin healing, to start becoming whole.

That’s when I began to understand:

A relationship rooted in the eternal nature of God will stand the test of time.

Three years later, we lost our second son just months after his birth.

That loss broke something in us — and then built something eternal in its place.

We began to understand the meaning of Chardi Kala — that no matter the tragedy, there is always a triumph.

No matter the night, light returns.

And with it, a stronger version of who we are.

These experiences have transformed me.

Who I am today is because of what we’ve lived through together — the joy, the heartbreak, the faith, the growth.

Nearly half of our married life has unfolded here in Punjab, India, and that chapter of the story deserves its own space.

(Part 2 will cover our time here.)

But I will say this:

Living with my Nanaji, who recently passed, was a divine gift.

He lovingly called her “Aarti.”

It was under his roof that we were taught paath,

That we witnessed the birth of our daughter,

And the return of our son — same face, same spirit — in a new body.

Having my grandfather’s guidance and my mother’s support allowed us to live with deep contentment and quiet joy.

Marriage has been my opportunity to understand God’s patience and grace — not just conceptually, but experientially.

His love is the ultimate example.

And in our imperfect reflection of it, we’ve found purpose.

Together, we are united in our mission:

To build a fruitful family,

To become a blessing to the nations,

To live in remembrance of the One who brought us together.

– Organic Punjabi AKA Balraj Singh

@watchmetriumph