Not that I'm counting the years....

30 years ago, when Emily was 6 months old, we needed a caregiver.  We were delighted when a young Sri Lankan woman answered our ad, and started coming to our home with her 6 and 4 year old kids.  A warm and loving caregiver, she looked after Emily for two years.  During those years, we came to know Dayani's husband, and her children Asith, Inoka and later, Renuka, and to love them all.

When Emily was six, Dayani and family asked her to join them on a trip to Edmonton, and Dave, Chris, Sarah and I watched as they boarded the bus for a 3 week stay, and rejoiced when we finally got her attention long enough to wave good-bye to us. 

We stayed friends and shared meals, went to concerts, games and cricket matches together, watched each other's kids in school shows, lived both far from and near to each other but always visited, always kept up to date and always, always supported each other.

We stayed friends through graduations, kids leaving home, kids coming back, weddings, births, opening nights and sadly through illnesses and death in the family.

Today Asith, on a visit from Vancouver, played Uncle to Robyn---I had to fight the happy tears.

Asith, Robyn 18 August 2010

Robyn wins!