After the tragic passing of Naya Rivera, her Glee co-stars shared their grief and mourning in a number of ways. One such co-star, Chris Colfer wrote a touching tribute for Naya in Variety, where he described the joys of working alongside her.

Colfer portrayed Kurt Hummel on Glee and since has made a name for himself as a New York Times bestselling adolescent fantasy writer. Thus, it only makes sense that Colfer would share his tribute for his friend through writing.

A majority of Colfer's tribute involves remembering Naya's extraordinary talent and friendliness on set. He writes:

"When Naya sang, you could feel her soul resonating through your own. Her voice would break your heart in one chorus, only to rebuild it in the next. Watching her perform was like watching magic unfold before your eyes. Naya didn't just sing a song. She brought it to life. And with every note, she exposed the old sage living inside her young body."

Both Colfer's portrayal of Hummel and Naya's portrayal of Santana Lopez were pivotal for LGBTQ+ youth who watched Glee and saw themselves in these characters. Hummel references this legacy of her character, despite Hummel and Lopez never being on the best terms:

"Her heroic and groundbreaking portrayal of Santana Lopez on "Glee" inspired millions of young people around the world, especially in the LGBTQIA community, and it will be treasured for generations to come...Even when her character was tearing mine to shreds, I couldn't help but respect how brilliantly she delivered the insults."

Reading Colfer's tribute allows readers to feel like they knew Naya on a more personal level. He described what a typical working day with her was and how her work ethic was unshakable and her energy and spirit was contagious:

"Even after an eighteen-hour day of singing and dancing, when mustering a smile felt impossible, Naya could make you laugh out loud. Once, during a heated exchange between an actor and a director, I'll never forget her turning to me with a cheeky grin and asking, 'Is this a bad time to tell someone the DVD player in my trailer isn't working?'"

He finishes his tear jerking tribute with praising Naya as a mother and how lucky her son, Josey was to have her in that role, saying:

"When her son Josey was born in 2015, it was like a missing piece of Naya had finally arrived. Their connection was magnetic, their affection was radiant and I've never seen a person look happier than when Naya gushed over her little boy.Being a mom was perhaps Naya's greatest talent of all, and as her final moments proved, Naya was an extraordinary mother until the very end."

Colfer's beautifully written memorial gives a deeper insight in the extreme honor it was to be Naya River's friend as we continue to mourn her loss and honor her legacy. You can read the full article here.