A memory of Neha Limaye (1974–2026), artist, writer and cook. Shared by Sia.

My freshman year of college, during the spring semester, I tested positive for COVID. I had actually been sick for about 4 days before getting tested because I thought it was just a common cold, but Syracuse told me I would have to isolate in a dorm room off campus for 7–10 days, completely alone. Mom was the only one home at the time because Ahaan and Dad were in India, and when I told her what was happening, she immediately said, “I’m coming to get you.” No hesitation, no questions. The next day, she drove all the way up to Syracuse to pick me up and bring me home. Once again, she was willing to do whatever it took to make sure I was okay and that I wasn’t alone. By the time I got home, I was already feeling better, and after a few days and multiple negative COVID tests, we ended up spending the next week and a half together doing all our favorite things, without the boys bothering us. We watched cooking shows, made yummy food that also looked pretty enough for pictures, gossiped out on the new patio, and worked outside on the comfy couches because the spring weather was perfect. Obviously, we kept our distance from each other at first, but we still found ways to enjoy our time together. After I had been home for about 3–4 days and tested negative, we decided to take a trip to our favorite place, New York City! We got a hotel with an amazing view of the city and spent a couple of days together before I had to take the bus back to Syracuse from Port Authority. We got coffee, walked around Central Park, took so many pictures of the pretty spring foliage, and had a great lunch, with Mom ordering her signature Bloody Mary, which I now order whenever I go to brunch in honor of her. We also went to MoMA and spent hours walking around and looking at all the exhibits. It was honestly one of the best days and one of the best weeks we spent together, just doing all the things we loved. Looking back at these pictures makes me so happy. What started as such a stressful situation turned into this really special time for just the two of us. Mom could have easily told me to stay at school and wait it out, but instead, she drove hours to come get me because she didn’t want me to be alone. That was always who she was. She would drop everything to take care of me, and somehow, even in situations that weren’t ideal, she always found a way to make things fun and memorable. I think about how much of her is in me, from the things we love doing to the little habits I’ve picked up from her, like ordering a Bloody Mary at brunch. I am so grateful that I got to have a mom like her and that I got to share so many of my favorite things with her. These memories make me happy because they remind me that I got to experience so much love, but also because she was genuinely my favorite person to do life with.

Sia · October 24, 2026 · 📖 Shared for her book