Why does life seem so short?” I ask myself. The older you get, the quicker the transition from dusk to dawn. As a mother or father, your children suddenly reach adulthood in the blink of an eye. Friends and family evolve – some move away while others feel more protected by the familiarities of their homeland. Some of us achieve our dreams while others find security in the thought of what could have been. Loved ones pass away while new birth keeps the circle of life rotating. The reality is we are living on borrowed time. Last year, so many talented people left us behind – too many and all at once; some too soon. There was so much suffering around the world, and still is, caused by political warfare, injustice and selfish human nature in general. Looking back on 2016, which may have been a good year for some so as not to promote complete doom and gloom, was a hard year for most of us – economically, globally and personally. The latter being subjective understandably. For the first time in my life, I lost someone very close to me – my stepfather, Patrick Allen, who was young and immensely loved by everyone. His death came as a shock to his entire family and friends.

Prior to Patrick’s death, he underwent dialysis twice a week over the last three years. The day before his birthday my mother received a telephone call from the hospital – there was a potential kidney donor. After tests were carried out, Patrick was given the all clear and had a kidney transplant on the day of his birthday 14th November. Unfortunately, he suffered numerous complications thereafter and passed away on Friday 9th December 2016 after suffering a heart attack. Our lives have not been the same since. I will never forget the cold chill I felt in my heart and spine when my brother told me the news. No words can describe the heartlessness of death or the pain it brings but what keeps a little fire burning in our hearts are memories of Patrick as well as special moments we all shared together all of which will remain forever in our hearts. I would like to dedicate this blog to Patrick Allen who changed my mother’s life in such a positive way, who was there for us all unconditionally. Patrick’s humble presence was felt by everyone he met. All I want is to make my stepfather proud who believed in me especially during a time in my life when I was emotionally fragile and lacked the confidence to believe in myself. Knowing I had a supportive father figure had a positive impact on my personal and work life. Unfortunately, 2016 ended horrifically for me and my family. It’s the good times from the earlier part of the year that keep me uplifted a little such as completing a creative writing course at Central Saint Martins which was on my to-do list for some time. My stepfather never learned of this personal accomplishment of mine but he would have been extremely proud.

Every day is important because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Live with purpose, strive to work towards a particular goal whatever it may be. If the simple things in life put a smile on your face so be it. Your unique qualities will create your legacy leaving the rest of us with a fine story to tell. So, as we embark on 2017 I would like to start the year with a promising twinkle in the air wishing you all the best especially in health and success of course. Lastly, as I am keen to uphold my reputation as a style influencer here are some of my own favourite looks from 2016 that, I hope, encourage you to become more fiercely glamorous in 2017!

Read: DIESEL STORE LAUNCH

In loving memory of Patrick Allen. Forever in our hearts.Written by @Styleiconnat | #TheLifestyleCollective | #TeamP