At a farewell party for Neha last night, I was struck by the joy of numbers. Not simply from counting the parties or the guests , but from the emotional connections they represent which is minus guests. Born into a large family where gatherings are in tens rather than units, what others see as a crowd is our normality. This abundance often taken for granted now holds more value as the young are spreading in different directions to pursue education or careers.

This shift has made me appreciate these moments and anticipate nuclear families becoming their norm too. Having experienced such abundant gatherings will hopefully remind them in reinforcing our shared joy of numbers.