Tasha Fernando

To my Siya, Happy birthday to the kindest and most loving old man I know. Sitting here in London, thinking about what I want to write, one paragraph or one page just isn’t enough to tell you how much I love you, how much you mean to me and how much I value you. When I stop and think about how lucky I am to have a man like you to be my Siya, it is overwhelming and makes me cry. From annoying you, pulling your ears, messing up your hair, sitting on your lap and eating all your biscuits at the Dilmah office, I know I am the luckiest granddaughter in the world. I’m so glad that we have got this close and I managed to teach you to say “I love you” after every call… because I do, and I always need you to know that. Thank you for teaching us the important things in life, to be kind, to be caring, to think of others and most importantly, to be forever humble. That is the number one thing I always strive to be, to be down to earth with both feet on the ground and forever grateful for everything I have. This trait is what I see in you every day and I strive to be the same.
Thank you for everything you have done for me and the family. I hope that I make you proud with my achievements and I hope to continue to make you proud. I have the fondest memories from our family cruises, Sunday lunches and birthday parties in your garden when we were small! I love how you are always so patient when we annoy you and mess up your hair and bite your ears at important functions. The Fernando family owe you so much, for everything we have, and we are forever grateful. I’m so happy that I get to spend this important day with you and we get to celebrate your life, your achievements, your continuous hard work and your eternal kindness. You do so much for others, its incredible. You are a role model to us all and to millions of people around the world. I’m so very proud of you and I am extremely lucky to be able to call you my Siya. Happy 90th birthday young man! I love you very much, now say “I love you too!!!”Love,
Tashi