Ms. LILLIAN KARIAWASAM - A LIVING LEGEND AN ACTIVE, LOVABLE, 100-YEAR-OLD LADY

She has her daily routine about which we are all aware. We know the times that we are welcome, which is most of the time. It is always pleasant to visit her. We know exactly where and how she is seated

We in 2nd Lane, Ratmalana are very fortunate in having this lovable, hospitable, 100-YEAR-OLD LADY as our neighbour. To give some information about her family, to begin with: her husband (no longer living) was the Director of the Department of Meteorology; she has three sons, all of whom have excelled in their respective fields, one such being cricket.

Next, to describe her life. She has her daily routine about which we are all aware. We know the times that we are welcome, which is most of the time. It is always pleasant to visit her. We know exactly where and how she is seated. Near her chair is a table on which there is her mug, medicines and most importantly a notebook and pen amongst other items. This notebook is her diary in which she writes in English and when she cannot get the exact word she wants, she writes in Sinhala. She writes very clearly and in a large hand. This notebook describes the many services she has rendered as a voluntary, dedicated and effective social worker. She is alert and mindful but like many of an older generation, she has a tendency to hark back to the past when she speaks.

The last paragraph is a very concise description of her life, since her retirement as the Chief Education Officer in charge of physical education and sports. The organization and conduct of athletic meetings all over the country, training of teachers in charge of sports activities, and functioning as a resource person: these were what she did with finesse and dedication. It is very likely that most of the persons she interacted with in the Ministry of Education are no longer living.

To complete this little note, she is an extremely tolerant person, living in peace and harmony amidst the many vicissitudes which people normally face in life. A genial soul if ever there was one!