Remembering Daya, correspondence.

 

Dear Phillip, & Ramya, Queenie & Shirani,

Thank you ever so much for that truly touching appreciation and the poems. I know you two had a lot in common - not only vocation, interests & hobbies, but also values & attitudes. He loved to have chats with you whenever we met & recently on the phone. I am truly sorry I missed your phone calls - shall try to whatsapp you tomorrow.

The last days were hectic as you can imagine and we left SL & arrived in Aus yesterday.

Yes, we had a wonderful 55 years together & he always wanted a quick end - so there is much to be thankful for. 

We had visited Yala in Jan & Wilpattu in Feb & Daya walked on the beach at 6am in Mannar to see thousands of flamingos on 12th Feb. - just 10 days before he passed away. 

On his return he got a diarrhoea which made him very weak and he had a fall on 19th night and I admitted him to Central (CCU) although he had no injuries. Both the cardiologist & intensivist assured me that there were no major issues - some new ECG changes, slight LVF but EF was 50% & assured me he could be easily managed. CT head was normal. 

22nd 3am he had a seizure & arrested. Luckily my daughter had arrived an hour before and we were both with him.

So a good end to a good life. 

Although when we have had it so good we are always greedy for more. Daya was ultra keen to come back to Australia and very excited when Australia opened its doors in Jan. Determined to enjoy B-class travel too! We had our visas, travel exemption, covid certification & were all set to return to our grand kids "for one last lap" as he called it. He was always totally involved in all their activities driving them to school and all the extra-curricular activities - netball, swimming, dancing, tennis, athletics, music, etc. He wanted one more term of all that & a few more walks round our Waterways lake & maybe even a few more lunches with our batch friends! 

Today I went for Aiyana's netball match and so many came to console remembering him & that we were an integral part of the cheer squad! I miss him so much - at every corner & every turn as we did everything together specially in the last few years. But the memories are wonderful and the girls will keep me going.

Thanks again phillip.

Take care of yourself & yours.

Treasure every moment you have - life is so fleeting!

Nalini

Another poem I love :

Death Is Nothing At All

By Henry Scott-Holland More Henry Scott-Holland

Death is nothing at all. 
It does not count. 
I have only slipped away into the next room. 
Nothing has happened. 

Everything remains exactly as it was. 
I am I, and you are you, 
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. 
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. 

Call me by the old familiar name. 
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. 
Put no difference into your tone. 
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. 

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. 
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. 
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. 

Life means all that it ever meant. 
It is the same as it ever was. 
There is absolute and unbroken continuity. 
What is this death but a negligible accident? 

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? 
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, 
somewhere very near, 
just round the corner. 

All is well. 
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost. 
One brief moment and all will be as it was before. 
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/death-is-nothing-at-all-by-henry-scott-holland

email from Kamalini Arul

 

Phillip,

Thank you for sharing that beautiful tribute for Daya you sent to Nalini. We take so much for granted, then it’s gone in a moment.

We have to be grateful we have had all these years of happiness which is truly a gift. Not our right.

Kind regards

Kamalini

email from Sujiva 

Dear Philip,

A lovely appreciation , evocative  of Daya and of bygone days. We find consolation in our memories.  “treasure every moment” as Nalini wrote to me.

Stay Well

Sujiva

email from Chitra and GU

Dear Phillip

Thanks for  sharing those lovely memories of Daya and yourself during your working life,interests shared and also the poems.

Chitra and GU

The late Dr. Daya Rodrigo and the late Dr. Burhan at the Alupola waterfalls. This was photo taken by me, on a NHSL Consultants day out trip.
At the French Cafe at Paradise Estate, Ratnapura.

Near the computer, Consultants Lounge, NHSL.