Since one of my closest friends died on October 14, 2015, it has been hard to be positive. She left behind a young daughter, a husband, devastated parents and countless others whose lives she touched. Mubina was a light in the life of many. She had stunning eyes and an infectious smile. She put you at ease and made you feel like an old friend within minutes of making your acquaintance. It is hard to come to terms with the fact that she is gone and that her light, at least as we knew it, is gone.

But despite her diagnosis and despite the short life she lived, she was always positive. She never once gave in to the “woe is me” attitude that we all would have expected and understood. Instead, she appreciated every last day. I can remember our last conversation when she was cracking jokes and laughing. It is one of my favorite memories.

There is very little we can do now that she is gone. We carry on. But to honor her memory and preserve her legacy, her friend Salma and I have chosen to take on the 100 days of happiness challenge. This is a challenge that Mubina herself took on after her diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

The challenge is simple. Every day starting December 1^st, 2015, post one thing that makes you happy, that makes you feel blessed, that reminds you of Mubina or that just makes you smile. It can be your favorite Starbucks drink, a photo of your family, a fresh manicure….you get the idea. Use the hashtag #100HappyDaysMJ and get your friends and family involved.

For the next 100 days, let’s remember a beautiful woman that we lost too soon but let’s do it with love, happiness and gratitude for being able to have had her in our lives, however brief the time may have been.