When Paula happened to you, you really knew.

If you had a heart, any creature’s heart, human or animal, she spoke straight to it with hers. No subterfuge. No pretence. No time to waste on anything without meaning. And this was not just when she knew how poorly she truly was. This was an always way of being.
There are few people I have fallen in love with as quickly, as deeply as I did Paula. There are few people who truly make a difference to the world and everyone they meet.

Paula was a formidable force of Nature. She cared so much about the earth and its creatures. She had purpose and passion and knew when to wear the kid glove of kindness over the iron fist of achieving action.

And Paula gave us the most compassionate and generous gift of all, the example of how to leave life gently, with care and still (oh so Paula), delighted surprise at how much joy there is to be found, all around, always: “what a suddenly glorious evening. Sun pouring into my (hospice) room…”

I will never forget her sparkling blue eyes and the gorgeous smile that moved all over her animated face. I’ll never forget how she FELT how people and animals feel, and responded from her heart, her gut and her vast emotional wisdom.

A person, a spirit that vital can never leave. She’s here in Rob, her boys, her family, Aoife and, for me, her baby girl, Elsa.

Me and the giant pup love you Paula (I can still hear you giggling at how you had neglected to tell me how “giant” your "little girl" actually was!) xx

Debra Hepburn