On January 18th my dear friend Vivian passed away suddenly. Even knowing that on a Soul level we are eternal, and that she was going on to bigger and better things in the Universe, I was beside myself with grief. She and I had grown extremely close during our time together and the thought of no longer having frequent interactions with her shook me to the core.

She was loved, trusted and admired by many, and this planet will not be the same without her physical presence in it. I have been reminded of that on a daily basis.

Throughout the darkest times, however, there are rays of Light. And those rays of Light were delivered in the form of friends and family. It would take me many hours to list the names of those who showed incredible kindness throughout this challenging time. I am grateful to each and every person who called, wrote, hugged, listened and showed in many different ways that they understood the pain I was experiencing.

There is one special young soul who I really must thank in this public forum, however. Her name is Abbey and she is one amazing eleven-year-old. Abbey has shown a courage and strength with her own challenges that is humbling to witness.

When Abbey heard of Vivian's passing she wanted to do something to help me through  the grief. So, she drew a picture of a dragon (we share a love of dragons), made a beautiful card, and created two of the most amazing gifts I've ever received.

One was a Book of Happiness. On each page of this book Abbey gave wonderful suggestions regarding how I could cheer myself up. There was more wisdom in her book than in many best-sellers I've read.

The other gift was what she called a Happy Sack. This tissue sack contained well-thought-out items along with detailed instructions as to what to do with each item. I have to admit that my favorite item was the bubble wrap. Like Abbey said in her instructions, "Who doesn't love bubble wrap?"

Abbey's mom, a dear friend, presented me with this special package right after Vivian's service. And I found myself laughing through my tears and feeling my heart get lighter because of this young girl's thoughtfulness.

It was a bright ray of Light during a dark time.