I thought the most beautiful thing in the world must be shadow
― Sylvia Plath

Earlier this week, my newest (and dearest) photographic friend (my Fujifilm X100T) and I were separated, irrevocably. Whether due to my being careless, and leaving it somewhere between the security check at reception and the hotel bar (unlikely), or being careless and not noticing somebody ease the weight I was carrying by lifting my little black bundle of joy from my shoulder (probably), I will never know. The hotel security team and bar staff left no stone unturned but my most faithful companion of these last three months was gone. The staff here, recognising my grief, welcome me each time I return to enquire about my loss.

But, there are worse things (far far worse), and this week people that I have come to know well, and call friends, have suffered a far greater loss.

A…