The ugly little cat and the budding artist's nature morte

If you look carefully at this picture you will see in the forefront a strange object in grey and brown. It is actually a cat - I call it ugly - but to my parents it was the most precious of their possession and always had a place of honour in the drawing rooms of all the grand homes we lived in till it landed in its final resting place on the wall display of the drawing room of this house. The mystery is that it is the first piece of pottery I made when I was five years old. When they passed away I did not have the heart to put it away. Somehow I feel it to be the most poignant reminder of how much mama and papa loved me. When I look at it, I remember the extent of their love and feel their comforting presence around me. Strange how those who love you express their feelings in unique ways. This all you have left when they leave. I wish one had the ability of understanding this when they were still around and giving them the biggest hug I could. But all you have left are memories, and it is impossible to keep those alive in anyway you can. I guess my kids will throw this ugly cat when I am gone! This cat came to life in 1956 in Paris

Fats forward to 2013 St Louis, Missouri. A child made a painting or drawing for his nanou and nani and the painting was mailed all the way to Delhi. If you look at the wall behind Ranjan you will see it. It is the work of art of my darling Agstya and is a nature morte. The theme is a plate of food. We went gaga over it when it came and it took me no time to get it framed. I then removed what was hanging at that place and hung this treasure worth all the Picasso and Monet in the universe. We look at it Ranjan and I when we miss the little bloke though thanks to the magic of Skype we see him often. But I know that it will remain hung there till we breathe our last. I also suspect that many other paintings will be removed from the walls of this house and to be replaced by Agastya's masterpieces much to the horror of his mom. It is all again a matter of seeing with your heart and I am a master at that.