Appreciations

To many the word idol brings to mind the great personalities of men and women whose names are written in history. To me it brings back memories of my seeya; written in gold in my heart.

As I remember, seeya was always a cheerful person. He would spread his cheer to everyone around him with his captivating and friendly way of speaking. As many of his patients recall, half of their illnesses had been cured by the time Dr. Upali Weerasena had finished talking to them and started prescribing medicine.

Seeya was one of those unforgettable people who managed to stay young at heart oblivious to the years that passed. He never let his age become an obstacle to his lifelong fascination for travelling. Although he had visited many of the great cities on the world map, he still wanted to see more. I remember how excited he was when he returned from his trip to Europe only about a year before his death. At the age of 85, he was a far better driver than most twenty-year-olds. Although many people of his age retired from work years ago, he would still drive himself to the Co-operative Hospital of Galle where he worked as a senior medical officer for 22 years after retirement from public service.

To his grandchildren, he would tell many stories of the hardships and accomplishments of his long life. These provided us with encouragement and inspired us to realize our own dreams. He always took great pride in our achievements, the success of his children and grandchildren always being the greatest joy in his life.

He was a cherished part of my childhood. He never turned a deaf ear to our pleas to take us to the beach or to the park. I am sure that it must have bored him immensely to watch a bunch of little girls dancing around a sloppy sand castle that they built all through the last few hours while he had to just sit and watch. No matter how tired he was, he would always smile and say; “Yes, you can have a little bit more time”.

I am sure that all of his grandchildren, along with me wished that he had that little bit more time to watch us grow up and make him proud. Sadly that was not to be.

It was a gloomy morning about a year ago, on October 15, 2006 when he said goodbye to us forever. Although he left the physical world for a higher place that day, his memories will forever live in the hearts of those who loved him.
May he attain Nibbana.

With love from a granddaughter