Paula Young

The Internet makes it so much easier to link up with people all over the world but it also, perhaps, opens us up to a special kind of loss. All sorts of people, in all sorts of places and in all different walks of life become part of our world but there is always the risk that these people might leave without us ever meeting them in the 'real' world.

So it was with Paula Young. She and I first made contact a couple of years ago via Linked-In. We began writing to each other, spoke on the phone once and had plans to write a book together. I was struck by Paula's warmth, her humanity, her sense of humour, how much she cared for people and wanted to make a difference through her work as a therapist.

A few months ago, Paula told me that she was battling cancer. We didn't talk much about it. From time to time, I would hear about her visits to hospitals and the difficulties she was going through but she was so upbeat that I always felt confident she would pull through.

Early last month, Paula died. She lost this particlar battle.

I never got to meet her. I just have her e-mails and that one special phone call to remember her by. But she had an impact on my life and I know from what I have seen other people write that she had a positive impact on their lives as well.

Some of her thoughts are still accessible in her blog: A Therapist's Thoughts at http://therapiststhoughts.blogspot.co.uk/.