On Friday, having our one and only outing of the week – shopping in Dunnes – I kept on thinking I saw a friend of ours, Natasha, when I saw any girl with long wavy blond hair.
Of course the masks we must all now wear didn’t help, but it couldn’t be Natasha because a few hours before that Natasha passed away, surrounded by her heartbroken family.
I didn’t even know Natasha was sick. Maybe if we were not all in our own lockdown bubbles I’d have known, and I feel terrible that I wasn’t there for her. I know if anything was wrong with me, Natasha with the heart of pure gold that she had, would have checked in on me.
We are all stunned that this bright light is no longer among us. Natasha was one of a kind.
Greg and I worked close to her, us on the South Mall and Natasha had her business Essential French around the corner on Grand Parade. We would often bump in to her at the end of a long day. She always greeted us with hugs, positivity, full of life and full of chat.
Everyone was drawn to Natasha.
I first met her back in 2009 through Network Ireland and shortly after this she attended our very first PR course that Greg and I ran for clients of the Local Enterprise Offices. Seriously – she could have given the course herself – she was a born communicator and marketeer. Back then, it was really the genesis of social media and she was already being so creative about how she used it for her business – and was so giving with her experience, her expertise, her energy and enthusiasm.
She was great at balancing things – her successful business where she was so passionate about helping kids be the best that they could be, while still keeping Wayne and her boys a priority.
Everyone she touched was the better for being around her – her students, their families, her colleagues and her many, many friends.
She was always so generous with her time, her friendship and her positivity – which was so infectious.
As I type, and short circuit my keyboard with the tears, today I’m going to celebrate Natasha. As she wished, light a candle for her, donate to the organisations that helped her on her journey, Marymount Hospice, Mercy Foundation, Arc House and CUH.
Gone way, way too soon, but what a legacy she has left in the hearts of so many people lucky enough to call her a friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with Wayne and her beautiful boys and her dad Tony, brothers and sister.
Deirdre Waldron is the founding partner of Fuzion Communications, a Marketing, PR, Graphic Design and Digital Marketing agency with offices in Dublin and Cork.
