Today, I feel like a light went out in the world and it became a little darker, a little dimmer. Yet, for all of that, the world has benefited from the kindness, unselfishness and wisdom of that little light and much of what she wrote, did, and dreamed remains with us, to find in books and blogs, paintings and poems. In time, I will write a more fitting tribute to my best friend, Sue Vincent. Today, I cannot because every time I try, I flood with tears. Her passing was expected but it still is a shock and an enormous hole in life suddenly.

I have known her for years. In fact, to be honest I cannot really recall when and how we first met. Sue, of course, would have been able to pinpoint the exact date and reason I am sure. It revolved around an esoteric bulletin board though were we began to comment on each other’s writings and musings, visit each other’s blogs and so on. We then discovered she was also chatting there to one of my sons…..

Strangely enough, we didn’t actually physically meet until relatively recently. It was rather an email and phone relationship. This morning, I searched back amongst my gmail looking for a beginning and counted well over 3000 emails back and forth since 2013. By then we had already written a book together so I have no idea how many communications there were prior to then…. thousands more I am sure. We finally met one night in a London hotel lobby at short notice – I was there on business, she on a course. Funnily enough, my son was there too.

In recent years, we managed a few more meetings – a very special long weekend with Sue and Stuart initially and then two more Silent Eye weekends – one on her 60th birthday was very special. I had, as you do, assumed there would be many more….

Sue didn’t have the easiest of lives, but she dealt with each blow, each problem or issue resolutely and positively including the cancer that finally took her. When I needed help – emotionally, spiritually or just a giggle, all I had to do was pick up the phone and that lively, happy voice spoke words of wisdom and encouragement.

In our final communication very recently, I told her that some people claim to have met or interacted with an angel. But I actually had – her. Her response, the last thing she sent, was a single heart emoji.

I’m ringing my meditation bell tonight in the hope that, just as in the movie, every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings.