These were the people who shaped lives, who shaped my life. They weren't famous enough to get an obituary in the big newspapers. But they were the people who cared, who gave me moments each day that I looked forward to.

Our relationship was complete. There were no axes to grind or unfinished business. No unspoken affections or apologies to make.

This is the time of year when people recall events of the past 12 months, but more important, the lives we lost.

Those near and dear to us will feel our absence, and we trust that after we're gone, we will remain in their hearts just as those who have passed on from our lives remain in our own. And so it goes on this human journey.

It's easy to forget -- when you're knee-deep in the process of living -- that Death is up ahead somewhere waiting to be dealt with, an inevitable passage we ponder and fear.

Tony Collins was a good man. He spent his life helping people, he and his family deserve justice. Lets hope there is a homicide detective who takes pride in his work the way Tony did.

QUESTION Dear Dr. Levine, My dearest best friend of 35 years died in March. She had Alzheimer's disease, so it had been several years since I was a...