This weekend my lovely and beautiful friend Tina lost her fight with cancer. It was an unfair fight – the enemy was armed with a machine gun and she was sent into battle with nothing more than a spoon.  However fight she did.

Since she was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year she has been truly amazing. I am sure Tina had many difficult times that she shared with her family, however our regular girls trips out have continued with Tina, always asking about everyone else, only focusing on the positive, never complaining or feeling sorry for herself.  Those get togethers will continue and we will toast her empty seat and think of her fondly.  Her sense of giving, her sense of humour her wonderful laugh leave me chocked, she was indeed a fabulous and amazing woman.

I could sit here and write about how unfair it is that a mother in early 40s is taken away from her husband and 2 little boys or I could celebrate the wonderful times we spent together – so I think I will focus on the later. Of course I am sad, I am writing this with tears streaming down my face, but without Tina there wouldn't have been as many happy memories.

It’s the philosophy of our business to help people record their memories and that life matters – this becomes even more poignant when we lose a friend or relation.  Life is really busy and sometimes we just forget to communicate so what I am going to do is badger the friends and family I have given journals to to get them back to me and I am going to make sure that mine are competed and returned. 

The last communication I received from Tina was a text, which simply said 'I love you' - well Dear Friend I love you too and I will really miss you. x