When we were kids, Mom always insisted that we make our beds and tidy our rooms before leaving for school in the morning. We bitterly resented it. “What difference does it make to you if our rooms aren’t neat?” we would ask [...]

Are people generous by nature or does it need to be taught? And why are some places noted for philanthropy and others are not? I’ve been thinking about these questions a lot as I work toward achieving our current goal of raising 40 lakh [...]

You’ve met Mummy before. At 93, she is the matriarch of our family – its oldest living member and one of the most respected and admired women I have ever known. We all stand in awe of her discipline, her integrity and her astonishing [...]

This evening I made a cake (Joy of Cooking 4 Egg Special) and while I was frosting it, I thought about the one I watched my niece create for her mother’s wedding two months ago tomorrow. Erinlea is an artist in real life, so it [...]

I had to do some work in the funny little town of Kathgodam on Saturday. Kathgodam is like Dehradun in that it’s at a bit of a height, but not much, and has a view of the mountains but the feel of a grimy city. I spent six hours with my [...]

A few days ago, Moy and I were out for our usual evening stroll when we met these two young scamps. You could see the gleam in both their eyes a mile off. “Auntie!” They called eagerly. “We’ve opened a shop! Come and [...]

It’s a complicated life when you use wheelchairs to get around. Just ask Moy. She uses the one in the front for her in-house mobility. It matches the living room furniture and has padded footrests for extra comfort. But it’s heavy [...]