Connection comes in all shapes and sizes. Some bonds are stronger and more profound than others. That which is felt between siblings tends to take some beating.

In the previous post on our blog, we introduced Conner and Cayden Long, two brothers from Tennessee, whose remarkable relationship struck quite a chord here at OM®. Today, we’d like to talk about two sisters.

Their names are Milly and Alice, they’re from the UK and, a little later this year, they’ll be tackling Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain on Earth, together. Theirs is a story that we’ve long been following from our studio here in Rhode Island. Like Conner and Cayden’s tale, it’s one that continues to inspire us in our efforts.

You see, the Alice in question is Alice Pyne. The same Alice Pyne whose brave fight against cancer came to our attention almost exactly two years ago today. The same Alice Pyne whose courage and spirit gave hope to others the Earth over. The same Alice Pyne who gave a home to two of the most special OMs ever created (those pictured above, painted in purple, her favorite color). The same Alice Pyne who died, having left an indelible mark on the planet, a little earlier this year.

She might have passed on, but Alice’s spirit lives on in Milly, her younger sister. Before she died, Alice asked Milly, who is 14, to scatter her ashes at the top of Kilimanjaro, a request that is to be fulfilled in October. She also asked that her blog – the thing that first brought her and her bucket list to such prominence in 2011 – remain online to provide support and encouragement for others.

In a recent post, Milly noted that, ‘I don’t think I’ll ever get used to [the fact that it’s] just me, mum and dad sitting down at the dinner table’.

Physically, she might be missing, but Alice endures. In our hearts and in our minds and, in Milly’s case, in a treasured keepsake that, when she described it on the blog she now maintains, underlined that nothing – NOTHING – can break a connection if it is strong and true . . .

‘Alice left me a special silver necklace,’ Milly revealed. ‘It has her fingerprint pushed into it so that I can put my finger in the shape and it’s like we’re touching each other again’. Part tragic, part touching, this is such a beautiful thing.

Here at OM®, we just felt a need to share this. To touch and inspire YOU. To make it clear that we haven’t forgotten about Alice and that her influence remains intact. To demonstrate that connection is a powerful force that transcends us and our lives. To celebrate a bond that, like the one shared between Conner and Cayden Long, is an awe-inspiring thing, rooted in love, kindness, compassion and all manner of things that we’ll never truly understand.

Gone but not forgotten, some bonds can never be broken, some connections never cracked. We’d like to wish Milly and her family all the best for their forthcoming climb. Here’s to them, and here’s to Alice . . .

We are all connected.