She was as kind as she was beautiful. Her blue eyes were always twinkling beneath the waves of her crisp blonde hair.

One day she made her way to the big city to see me. It was the first time that she had travelled alone. Even though she later confessed she was nervous, it didn’t show in her smile when we met. We went for lunch, extravagant views and fashion exhibitions- a few of our favourite things to do together. We’d talk and talk for hours, never running out of things to say.

As we walked down the near the Thames, I asked her what she wanted to be when she was younger. She paused for a moment and looked across the river. “A mother,” she told me.

And she did become a mother – a beautiful one. All her children adored her as well as her devoted husband. It was impossible not to. Everything she did was for them. Even if she would get mad and argue, it was because she loved them so much.

I’d often call her many times and ask for her advice. Not because of who she was, but because her advice was worth a million. She always knew what to do and how to be kind. She’d know the best form of action to take in every situation and she’d be with me every step of the way… I wish I could call her now.

It was a cruel thing that she was ripped from this world. And not just for me, but for all who knew her. She was called Alison and her smile lit up the whole world.