Page 33 - Memoirs of Sarasworthy Somasundaram

My Rewards
Sentha (from a letter) 1993

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“Amma, please come and live with us. I’d like my daughters to pick up your values.”

U.G.C Service in Colombo Church

May 1996
Special services in honour of our founder missionaries

I’d been asked to lead the service in my introductory remarks. I had referred to Grey’s Elegy
“Lives of great men all remind us and departing leave behind us Footprints on the sands of
time”

After the service, the church committee (O.G.A.?) had, as usual, organised a ‘pop-in’- short
eats and drinks in the church lounge. It was a happy get together, chiefly old girls and boys
of U.G.C. and the usual C.S.I. Crowd.
It was good to meet up with old girls and friends. I had been away a long while.

Then an elderly mother walked up to me smiling and saying “Do you remember me Mrs.
Somasundaram?”

I smiled back, ransacking my memory to recall the face. She smiled probably guessing my
predicament and then she said:
“A long time ago, I came to you a worried mother. You sat down and talked to me, listened
to me, soft-pedalled my fears and advised me. I followed your advice and everything has
worked out well for my child.

Mrs Somasundaram, it’s not just the early missionaries, you have left your footprints too.”

I came home with a glow of warmth in my heart.

11 Please see page 20, this reference to Sentha’s letter connects to Samuel’s request that Sentha grew up
knowing her Mother.

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