Sadness. An emotion that positive psychology often avoids, yet is a very real part of life (just watch Inside Out as a great illustration of the beauty of different emotions), and one that covers me now. Last week, my colleague and dear friend, Dr Christine Siokou, suddenly passed away. It is an enormous loss.
I have lost an incredible person that has driven my work in ways that I would never have imagined. Over the past year, we have worked closely together, developing this area of Positive Systems Science. It has been a labour of our minds and hearts - driving us, challenging us, and inspiring us. We have met together each week, even multiple times during the week, carefully consider our ideas, writing together, questioning each word we use, turning things over and over from two different yet complementary perspectives. So far, we have several presentations and blog posts, an article under review), others in the works, and several grant proposals. The beginnings of something big... or not. Christine has pushed my thinking and ideas in ways that I never imagined, opening up a world of possibility.
Christine was also a beautiful person, both inside and out. She had an incredible heart for people. I can't even begin to describe all of her good characteristics. I have truly been blessed by having her a part of my life.
We have worked hard to establish this new area of PSS. There's so much missing, so much I never learned from her. I feel so inadequate to carry on without her. At the same time, she has inspired me, and I feel compelled to carry this area forward, perhaps as a legacy to an incredible person. These are some of the real-world complexities of life.
Written by Peggy Kern
I have lost an incredible person that has driven my work in ways that I would never have imagined. Over the past year, we have worked closely together, developing this area of Positive Systems Science. It has been a labour of our minds and hearts - driving us, challenging us, and inspiring us. We have met together each week, even multiple times during the week, carefully consider our ideas, writing together, questioning each word we use, turning things over and over from two different yet complementary perspectives. So far, we have several presentations and blog posts, an article under review), others in the works, and several grant proposals. The beginnings of something big... or not. Christine has pushed my thinking and ideas in ways that I never imagined, opening up a world of possibility.
Christine was also a beautiful person, both inside and out. She had an incredible heart for people. I can't even begin to describe all of her good characteristics. I have truly been blessed by having her a part of my life.
We have worked hard to establish this new area of PSS. There's so much missing, so much I never learned from her. I feel so inadequate to carry on without her. At the same time, she has inspired me, and I feel compelled to carry this area forward, perhaps as a legacy to an incredible person. These are some of the real-world complexities of life.
Written by Peggy Kern
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