Impulsively, the other day, I bought a set of art materials for Amma, Indu Shedde, who as you may know, is 96, and her vision is not great. I got beautiful art paper sketch pads, pastels, coloured pencils and charcoal pencils. I had planned to gift it to her on her birthday, but gave it to her right away instead. Each day is a bonus for all of us; at 96, more so.

The inspiration came from my friend Deepa Samant Soman, whose father Vasant Samant had a stroke at age 70, leaving one side of his body paralysed. “‘He won’t be able to speak, but he will be able to sing’, as the neurologist said in 2006,” she posted on Facebook. She and her husband Milind decided to focus on what he could do, rather than what he couldn’t. Now 88, he continues to cheerfully sing “taans”, he draws, and plays the harmonica, all in his own way—and it’s wonderful.