The first time I heard anything about Lena was seeing David on stage in front of a room full of people speaking about being able to Marry her & getting brought to tears. Actually I witnessed it on three separate occasions & thought wow, she still has that effect on him that he can’t do it without tears. Who is this woman with such powers? Sure enough when I first met Lena, she stood out but not how I expected. Although she was mostly quiet at the time, she had a presence much bigger than her tiny body, she also had a forcefield that wouldn’t just let anyone in. I never expected to be one of those people. Then one day, many months later she contacted me out of the blue & asked about working with me. Lena was someone who didn’t give much away, played her cards close to her chest, so I had no idea that I had made the kind of impression on her for her to even consider me.

When we started working together, she started to open up, she let me in the hallowed & honoured ground of her forcefield. Although Lena had a heart of gold & very strong moral compass, she did not suffer fools lightly. She often used to refer to people as “little shits” in a way that only she could. For that reason it is such an honour that she let me in & I didn’t get relegated to the little shit category.

Our time together was often emotional, there was plenty of  laughter & tears, not all of them hers. Even though I was there for her, she always wanted to put me first & make sure that I was ok, that I was looking after myself & managing my own stress. Which in retrospect I wasn’t & she knew it, no matter how much I tried convincing her (& myself). Lena was actually pivotal in how I look after myself now & the direction my life took.

One of the things that really stood about Lena, other than the way she said “little shit”  is her bravery & iron will. She was prepared to go out on her shield, her way, a true warrior spirit. What a woman.

Lena, thank you for coming into my life & shaking me up, I now know why David was brought tears talking about you. I only wish I could’ve done more & that you were still here to call people little shits, I hope you're still doing that wherever you are now. It’s been an honour.

Love Gareth