Priya cannot remember a time when her mother was not busy. Apart from her work, there were always social engagements to attend, friends to visit or new books to read. But something changed after retirement.
“She seemed to lose some of her sparkle. She became a little inward and moody at times, as though an inertia had taken over. Her outings became less frequent. She no longer went shopping, as everything could be home-delivered. The fact that my father preferred to stay at home further reduced her opportunities to socialise. This transition from a busy, active person to a listless and diffident individual was quite shocking and sad,” she says.
When she opened up to her friends about this, Priya discovered that they had similar stories to share. Parents who had once led full, active lives were now confined to the quiet routines of home. They had not lost their zest for life, but age had caught up with them, sapping their energy and enthusiasm to get out and about.
“Then it struck us that, in a few years, this could be our lives too. Why should we allow the years to steal all the colours from our lives?” says Dimple Mohan, who runs a consultancy service in the city.
Five women
And so, Young at Heart (YaH) was born — a dream that took wings when five women entrepreneurs and working professionals in Thiruvananthapuram came together to explore how they could help their parents rediscover the joy of living and embrace ageing with enthusiasm.
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