I think some of Laura’s magic has a lot to do with her ability to make people feel seen. When you were speaking with Laura she made you feel like you were the most important thing to her in that moment. She not only listened but she actively participated in whatever you may have been talking about. She was so present and seemed to just be soaking up every experience. I feel that her strength with these 1:1 conversations came not only from being an active listener but being fearless and vulnerable. I still remember the first time I met Laura she shared a secret with me (at the time this was her deciding to go back to school) and it made me feel so special that she trusted me, someone she had never met before, with this information. I work in the social work field as well so we were talking about that at the time she shared this and I think it’s a great example of how authentic she was in her conversations. I assume it was as simple to her as this is the topic we were talking about and she is going to be “all in” with this conversation no matter what. Anyone can be a good listener, I feel what set her apart and made her interactions so exceptional came from her openness and willingness to share her experiences as well. That is how we as people connect and she did it in the most beautiful way. It also demonstrates how much she trusted and saw the good in people which I feel is one of the many reasons she had this gift of helping others. I had the privilege of being with Laura only a handful of times but all of my interactions with her were wonderful and I remember thinking how blessed her inner circle of people must be to have her in their life. She has inspired me in many ways, one of them being more present and vulnerable, and I will always be grateful to her for that. She will be so missed and I’m confident she touched every life she has come into contact with. Thank you Laura ❤️