Sri Lanka, Oct. 14 -- Tonight, I find myself searching for words to speak of someone who, in truth, never seemed to grow old.

My beloved aunt, Clare Heenatigala, fondly known to us as Cala, passed away this evening at the age of 87. Yet somehow, even as I write these words, they do not seem to belong to her. Cala was one of those rare human beings whom time touched but never diminished.

For me, Cala was not simply an aunt. She was part of the fabric of my entire life. I have known her, loved her and lived in close association with her for as long as I can remember. She was one of those familiar and enduring presences of childhood who gradually became woven into the very story of one's life.

She knew me before I had acquired any title...