This is a picture of my beautiful, lovely, charming, hilarious, loyal and incredibly kind friend Mags.
Regular readers will remember Wee John and I teaming up two years ago to tackle the Great North Run in celebration after Mags had beaten cancer for a second time.
Unfortunately, at the beginning of last month, I received a text from Mags to say that the nasty, horrible, vile leukaemia had "made a show again" and she was going back into hospital for more treatment.
We exchanged further texts and I offered to travel down to London to see her after I'd returned from holiday in Menorca. I didn't hear back, but she'd already warned me that she would be "flat out" during parts of her treatment and not to be concerned if a reply wasn't swiftly forthcoming. So I wasn't.
But tragically, last night, I received a phone call to say that Mags had passed away yesterday morning.
I cannot describe to you how sad I feel, and I know that everyone else who knew her well will be going through the same painful ordeal.
Mags was one of the very few people I've met who did not divide opinion - because everyone loved her. Indeed, that probably made her unique.
Even in her most challenging moments, she was positive, upbeat and trying to make you feel good - no matter how she might have been feeling herself.
She was also Charlotte's godmother and that makes me immensely proud, as it will my daughter as she gets older and I get to tell her all about my friend.
Mags, I'm so, so sorry you that couldn't hang around for at least another 41 years. Because you would have made a magnificently entertaining, batty old woman.
