I remember meeting this woman and being immediately engulfed by her warmth.  She has dedicated her life to working with young children being raised by their grandparents, specifically through early childhood educational in-home interventions through a non-profit; while early education is critical, she also realized that many students were not able to cover the costs of college, even if the only cost was $300 to purchase textbooks. As a result, she also founded a scholarship for local high school students who had been raised by grandparents. Beyond the scholarship money itself, she also explained that a scholarship means someone is rooting for you—supporting you.

Her passion for her work was so obvious. She coordinated special events for families and stayed late not because she necessarily had to, but because she wanted to. I remember one event when she had to leave to go practice for an upcoming  fashion show raising money for charity. While she was certainly busy, she wholeheartedly loved what she did–from the fashion show to the extra programming.

Whenever I see someone like this, I wonder how they do it. After becoming Facebook friends with her, I noticed how many friends she had and the obvious love she shared with her husband. She is the type of human being who challenges me to follow what gives me that spark.

This woman, as the title suggests, is a burst of light. While I don’t know if our paths will cross again in the future, meeting with her even just briefly for one summer will remain with me and serve as a beautiful example of a life being lived truly well.

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Have you had similar experiences? Do you think about people like this often?