Last week we lost our dear friend Liz after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was just 43. It doesn't seem real at the moment and my heart breaks for her husband, father, sisters and the many friends she has left behind.
Many years ago, Liz started a book club at her home and over time, those meetups became so much more. I feel very privileged to count those book club girls amongst my best friends now and we've seen each other through love and heartbreak, career changes, children, weddings and loss.
Liz was also a blogger and I always admired her sunny, happy, relentlessly optimistic outlook on life. Even through the hardest times, she had a way of finding joy and sharing it with the people around her. She was such an inspiration.
We shared so many adventures over the years, and our final one was a girls' weekend away in Southend in February. I'll always remember the colour of that weekend: the street art, the ride on the pier railway, the superb Thai meal, and the laughter we shared. Those memories feel especially precious now.
Right now, I feel bereft and a little adrift. But alongside the sadness is a feeling I can't shake: that I need to live life as fully as I can, for all the people we've loved and lost who no longer have that chance. I'm inviting gratitude and grace into my life and I'm making a promise to keep exploring, to keep noticing the beauty in the world, and to celebrate the extraordinary privilege of being here on this little blue planet.
Fun fact: Southend Pier is officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest pleasure pier railway in the world, stretching 1,889.8 metres (6,200 feet) along Southend Pier, which itself is the world's longest pleasure pier, extending 1.34 miles (2.16 km) into the Thames Estuary.
What a deeply moving and beautiful tribute to Liz. Her vibrant, optimistic spirit shines through in the photos of murals and street art you've shared with us. Wrapping yourself in gratitude, grace, and the colorful memories of your weekend in Southend is a profound way to keep her joyful essence alive.
ReplyDeleteThank you Steven, very much appreciated
DeleteJe partage ta peine , la vie n'est pas que joie malheureusement par contre resister du mieux possible permet de continuer à profiter des choses que la personne disparue essayait de faire partager ..on ne doit pas baisser les bras rien qu'en pensant a ce qu'endure ces personnes qui se battent
ReplyDeleteJ'aime beaucoup tes photos toujours très apaisantes
Bon courage à toi
Merci beaucoup, Claudine. J'apprécie vos gentilles paroles
Deletethat is a post that ends on a positive note, my condolences on the loss of a dear friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ayush
DeleteMy deepest condolences on the loss of your dear friend. I am glad though that you made the decision to have a last outing. What beautiful and colourful murals you saw. A wonderful memory to keep close to your heart.
ReplyDeleteMy life motto is: "Live your life as if it is your last day on this world. Be thankful for what you have and cherish the special moments".