Here's to my friend...

I cried most of my flight today. You see one of my closest friends passed away yesterday. She was the friend that made all life's problems disappear with her smile and a extra large box of Millies Cookies.

Life wasn't kind to my friend, even before I knew her. But yet she was the one who always said life is our test, and she always accepted what life threw at her. With a smile and matching accessories! And I knew that as long as she was there, everything would turn out ok.

I first met S when I was six. She was a bit older than me and her mum was organising a fashion show. Somehow I'd been roped into modelling a sari (which was thankfully changed to a peach dress later). I remember seeing S and thinking how glamourous she was!

Fast forward a few years, and we soon became good friends!

The day I realised what my friend was made of was the day I covered her year 4 boys class at Saturday Workshop. After half an hour of shouting at the boys to behave and sit still, and only managing to cover 3 mins of teaching material, I just knew S was angel sent from above! Every time I see her students, who incidentally are now themselves volunteers in our centre, I know its because S taught them with her tremendous patience and calm.

Always one to shy away from the limelight, S was one of the most hard working people I knew. And unlike me, she didn't want any recognition. She even got angry when people asked for prayers for her on facebook. Id love to see her expression if she knew how many facebook status' were dedicated to her right now!

And then the adventures and the memories. That's a good few blog posts! The shopping and chocolates private jokes, the trekking to Manchester (including the toilet stops on the way!), the Hours we spent making nasheed playlists for her walima, only for someone on the day to request that the first 30 secs from track one to be repeated over and over again! Then there was all the freebie toothpastes and toothbrushes and dental floss ( if you are S's employer, I'm sure she paid for them!) and her bright idea of scrubbing my bridal mehendi with a toothbrush (my skin has never quite recovered!). And the jeans theory... Which I never did get to clarify!

S's passing away still feels like a bad dream. In the back of my mind, I'm still working out her next chemotherapy date and planning how I'm going to skip a couple of hours of work to sit with her (if you are my employer and reading this, I promise, I was delivering notes and plans!). Even with her being so sick, she'd always turn up for hospital appointments with a huge rucksack full of snacks, even sandwiches she'd made especially for me! S is the ONLY sick person I know who's made food for other people!

My life has definitely been richer with S in it and I pray I can uphold her legacy with her patience when facing trials whilst looking like a glam hijabi babe!

Miss you.