Alice Rose O'Connell (26 May 1988 - 31 Mar 2026)

To My Alice in Wonderland,

Many unspoken words that should have seen the light of day must now sit within my heart until we meet again. I couldn’t find the right way to arrange them then, to tell you that even when the path grew strange, it was never a reflection of my love for you.

I will forever hold the image of you, transfiguring a simple garden into a private Wonderland. I see Barry McBarrison, that sharp-eyed squirrel, keeping watch from the bird feeder as you coaxed the magical from the mundane. I’ll remember how your mind breathed life into every twitch of his tail, even as you kept a tender watch over the garden floor. 

You gathered every fallen leaf and scattered bloom with a curator’s heart, arranging them in vase after vase until the room breathed with you. In your hands, even the smallest weeds found their place of honour; to you, no fragment of natural beauty was ever a waste. You noticed the impossible things, the way the garden nodded when you laughed, and you made sure I noticed them, too.

Tonight, I am lighting a Neom candle, because it’s only the best for the best. As the flame flickers, I’ll think of you and Barry McB beginning your new adventures, leaving the world a little warmer than you found it.

Rest easy Alice, I'll look for you in every bird, bee, dragonfly, and skylark along the way. I’ll love you forever xx