In Memory of Reen Pilkington

This afternoon whilst checking my Facebook messages which had not been checked for over six weeks I found out that one of my former coaching clients Reen Pilkington had sadly passed away last month from Parkinson’s disease. It was sad news for me for a number of reasons which made me think about sharing the news on my blog.

I don’t ever underestimate how special it is to work with individuals in my work as a coach. For me it is always an honour and a privilege when anyone places their trust and their faith in me to grant me permission to walk alongside them on this extraordinary journey of life.

Reen was an extraordinary individual, possessing a quiet strength, an amazing eye for photography especially nature, landscapes, portraits and her skills as a film maker along with the fantastic work she did at Roots and Shoots in the heart of Kennington.

We worked together for 18 months in early 2000 and then contracted for further sessions a year or so later. In that time I watched as Reen made a name and a brand for herself as a photographer and committed even more deeply to her art and her creativity.

Reen was a gentle soul whose eyes oozed kindness and compassion. She had a clear and clean spirit which always felt refreshing and energising. I always felt calm and peace in our conversations with each other.

One of the best gifts Reen gave me after our work had been completed was a series of photo shoots at her home. As a result one of the images from that shoot I’ve used for years as one of my main public profile shots. I loved the image Reen took of me because despite being in a difficult place at that time in my life she captured my happiness. Ironically in November of this year at around the possible same time of her passing I decided to no longer use this image and removed it from my Twitter profile page.

It goes without saying that in these moments we deeply feel the fragility of life and are reminded of how quickly we can depart from this life as we know it.

As I said on Sunday evening at a 50th birthday celebration where I hosted the speeches, let’s not forget to affirm each other now in the present, in our daily interactions, on the job, at home rather than wait for when the person is no longer here to say how great they were or how much we loved and cared about them.

I hold onto the memories that I experienced Reen in this unique way in our coaching work together during her life journey. I can only imagine the enormous body of exquisite photographs Reen has left as a legacy of her work and time with us. I hope these images offer comfort to family, friends and loved ones at this time.

I send my love and condolences to her son, her partner, her family and close friends.

In loving memory of Reen Pilkington.