During Covid, I happened to be stranded in the US. I had gone to be with my daughter for her first baby’s delivery and the day I arrived, all the airports shut down. I stayed for 15 months – until I’d gotten the second vaccine – and among the many things that happened during that time was that I felt extremely rich. As a US citizen, I received two stimulus checks. It was a lot of money for someone who earned in rupees.

As one does, I decided to invest. In art.

I knew Catherine Lindow, a Scottish artist, because her mother – Anne Bruce – had volunteered as a speech pathologist with us for many years. On my visits to Anne in Edinburgh, I had met Catherine and followed her on Instagram. In the dark, closed-in days of the pandemic, this sprightly, action-packed watercolor gave me hope:

The fact that one of the children just happened to be in a wheelchair, with no obvious “message” sealed the deal. I invested. I bought the painting as well as  the sketch Catherine had done in preparation for the final version. When I got back to India at last, I had the painting framed for my home and saved the sketch for when our building would finally be ready.

Now here’s the funny part. A friend who worked with disabled children retired and his colleagues wanted to give him a gift. He suggested that rather than give him something he didn’t need, they could donate a work of art to Latika. And the artist they chose? Catherine Lindow. People always say: What are the odds? but I’ve gotten used to it by now. The odds are always in our favor.

And the painting?

A young girl, transfixed by something she’s spotted, intent on getting it down on paper. The colors, the concentration, the sheer focus and determination. What better gift could we possibly receive?