It was late, it had been a hard day and I was looking for something to read that was light and would make me laugh. I stumbled upon a site that had posted “open letters” to various people, things and animals, they were nonsensical and made me laugh and as I read different ones I began to feel better.

As I scrolled down the page I noticed a link to a memorial or something like that, and I clicked on it. The screen filled with tributes that were written about a young woman who had died in a plane crash. I didn’t know her, I had never heard of her, but I began to read what others said about her. There were posts from family, longtime friends, recent friends, co-workers, students, casual acquaintances and professionals.

There were posts from people who had only met her for an hour and yet she had impacted their life. She was loved, admired, respected and appreciated. As I read about her, I formed a mental picture of who she was, what her voice sounded like, her laughter and the faces she would make.

I glimpsed her life that was contained in the hearts of those that had known her, loved her and missed her dearly. I liked her and I mourned a little myself because I would never get the chance to meet her in person.

As I thought about her, I realized that if she had not died, I probably never would have known about her. It was interesting, that through her death, her life had grown larger, encompassing more people.

She is a lovely example of what each of us is capable of doing, touching lives for good and loving those around us. I am truly thankful that I met her.