Hi! I’m Ritu,

I was born in India and moved to Canada when I was 4 years old. I grew up in the GTA with my parents and 3 siblings and did all my education in Canada. I completed my BSc in Nursing at University of Toronto and worked as an oncology nurse until 2004.

My husband, Parveen, and I have lived in Mississauga since we married and raised both our sons, Rohan and Prem, here. We also run our creative agency in this amazing city. In 2020 I completed my 200hr yoga teacher training and I offer yin yoga classes to people who wish to bring some calm to their bodies and life. 

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Family has always been the number one priority in my life. Once my children were born, I became the protective mama bear and always wanted to keep them out of harm's way. Advocating for fairness by fighting against all forms of discrimination is an integral part of my being. I find satisfaction in giving back to the community by volunteering for many organizations which have included Peel District School Board, Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters Peel, TIFF, Safe City Mississauga, and most recently PFLAG Peel.

 

I have always been open about my love and support of my son, Rohan,  who identifies as queer. In being so public with my support, I have had several people from the south asian community reach out to me and tell me their child is gay or lesbian and they just want to talk to somebody who understands. Some are confused, some are supportive and others don't have anyone else they feel they can talk to openly. In creating this blog, my hope is to create an open, supportive, non-judgemental dialogue that will ultimately help our children feel understood and  unconditionally loved. If my stories, and those of my family and friends, can help even one family going through a myriad of emotions, then I will feel that sharing our stories was worth the bravery and strength it takes to be so open.