Grateful remembrance of an aunt who touched our lives

I am writing this appreciation in gratitude of the life and times of Aurasie Weerasinghe, an aunt whom not only I but our entire family is indebted to, for her help in numerous ways that we recall with immense gratefulness.

The Buddha advocated that gratitude is one of the finest qualities of a human being but also a hard act to practise.

She lived precisely 1,026 months (85 plus) and passed away last month. Aunty Aurasie (affectionately, Nandi) was someone hard to forget, with her sterling kind of stature, intellectually driven to accomplish milestones, being the solid rock for my Uncle Ally Weerasinghe to succeed greatly in his business career, taking good care of her children, Asanga, Avi, Amanda and Ashanee, at the same time, to excel in their chosen fields of specialty, like a CEO leading a household operation in flamboyant style.

I remember watching both my Uncle and Aunt closely in my younger days, aspiring to become who they were, living in style while we were given a glimpse of their lives, when we emerged from our boarding schools, staying with them-which to us at the time was like a few days in heaven.

I remember her impressive organisational skills. She was so versatile; entertaining a wide circle of friends, business associates plus attending to the children unfailingly and not forgetting us as the extended family at all times, caring and sharing, treating us all equally.

She, like most mothers, was seen as the head of facilitation, making things happen and giving direction in her inimitable style. She treated the domestic staff with much care and helped them to build their lives and as the saying goes, the true measure of a person is how one treats someone who cannot return the favour.

I can never forget how much she was concerned when the tsunami struck our village in Seenigama, helping me get through many difficult circumstances, especially in comforting the traumatised villagers through her leadership role in Sumithrayo.

Seeing both my mother and aunt interact the way they did, being sisters-in-law was an example that was such a highlight resulting in our two families demonstrating much goodwill in our close association.

All of us will no doubt face the inevitable demise as we receive the death sentence the day we are born, but never know when and how. That said, it is our duty to not forget those who have touched our lives, to acknowledge them in grateful remembrance when their time has expired.

May her good deeds benefit her sansaric journey of karmic life, to attain greater Enlightenment.

Kushil Gunasekera