Things I learnt from my friend Caryn

This week has been very difficult for me. This week I heard the terrible news that my dear friend Caryn had passed away from cancer.

Let me assure you the world is dimmer without her in it. You see, Caryn always had time for the people she loved. And she loved a lot of people. You would always feel better for knowing you had a friend in Caryn. She was encouraging, grounded and spiritual. She was adventurous. She made every minute count. When you were with her, she was present. Even when cancer was having it's way with her body, she was selfless and positive. I often had no idea how bad her health was getting, but I always knew that she loved and cared for me. While I was traveling overseas earlier this year, she would send me messages to make sure I was having a good time. In the final few months Caryn spoke to me about not fighting cancer, but accepting that this was going to be a part of her life and she had learned so much for having to deal with it. She spoke about how much she loved her friends for not changing when they found out about her diagnosis and spoke of some jokes they had used to get through the grief they were all feeling. She didn't shy away from difficult conversations but never missed an opportunity to laugh or to be kind.

And I know if she could talk to me now, she would encourage me to love my friends, to make the most of life, to accept my flaws and be successful anyway in every aspect of life (she would probably say "get on with it"). She would say that we should all take life for all the richness it has to offer; even if sometimes that meant we had to be sad or in grief.

My friend Caryn is a rare species of human. She was compassionate, loving, self aware, good at almost everything but especially at being a very special friend.

She was my hero. and I love her.
Rest in peace my dear friend, I will always remember you.