New Delhi, Nov. 4 -- As a child I grew up in a joint family and spent my summers surrounded by many cousins. When I got married, I stayed with my in-laws and over the years I formed a bond, a relationship that oscillated between independence and interdependence. It changed its form over the years and in both said and unsaid ways we found ways to co-exist. In the last three years when both my parents-in-law suddenly passed away, I felt lost and overwhelmed-adulting had hit me in a way I could not have imagined.

Growing up with cousins and living with my in-laws meant that there was always someone who had your back, and it had provided me with a feeling of safety and anchoring. Their loss made the world far more unpredictable. I remember t...