Thinking of Siobhan

Are you one of those people who always, always reads the dedications in books and wonders what the story is?
Rainy Days and Tuesdays is dedicated to my friend, and former deputy editor, Siobhan McEleney.
Siobhan died almost three years ago, at the age of 47, leaving behind four beautiful daughters and a heartbroken family. It's fair to say that life in the Derry Journal has never been the same since she left us.
Today would have been Siobhan's 50th birthday (and she would have been raging that I'm telling you that).
Anyway, Siobhan pushed me on in so many ways - encouraging me to write, to find a voice, to get a book out there. I started writing Rainy Days and Tuesdays shortly after her death - her last words to me echoing in my ears: "Write something good for me".
Even now it's hard to believe she is gone - and when I walk into our office I still expect to see her at her desk. I still hear her voice echo around these walls and hear her encouragement when I need it (and bollocking when I need it too - she wasn't afraid to put you in your place if you deserved it).

So today, I'm pausing for a moment and remembering Siobhan and the strange twists of fate which bring us where we need to go.