A year ago this week, the Veronica Mars Kickstarter campaign was launched. As big, huge, enormous fans of the show, Jeffrey and I were early backers, and watched with giddy anticipation that first day as the contributions poured in. He wanted to go in on the movie premiere package, but I talked him out of it because money was tight.

Jeffrey died a few months later. Both our friend Marybeth and I mentioned during his memorial how unfair it was that he would miss the Veronica Mars movie, and how bummed he would be.

Imagine how blown away I was a couple of weeks later when a personal message signed by Kristen Bell and the rest of the cast arrived in my mailbox. A little birdie tipped off @IMKristenBell on Twitter and I will be forever grateful for this act of thoughtful kindness.

We had already started watching the series with our daughter Celeste. Celeste and I continued watching the rest of the three seasons in the months that followed. In addition to being a smart, witty kick ass feminist hero, Veronica, in mourning for her friend Lily, was modeling grief for us. Maybe Veronica, Logan, Eli and their peers weren’t always grieving in the most healthy or “correct” way (whatever that means), but seeing them get through it, bit by bit, and even find moments of happiness and love, gave me hope.

The months crawled by. I would see the Kickstarter updates from creator Rob Thomas whenever I checked Jeffrey’s email, and every time I would feel a wistful pang. There were contests to win tickets to the movie premiere, but I just didn’t have the wherewithal to enter. I’d see the film along with everyone else and I’d continue to watch the excitement around the run up to the premiere from afar.

Then I got a series of texts from my good friend Susan. If she could get me to the Veronica Mars panel in L.A.’s Paleyfest, could I make my way down there? Thanks to my wonderful generous sisters I could, and I did!

The panel started with the documentary about the making of the Veronica Mars movie (which will be included on the DVD release). If you couldn’t see the self-effacement and gratitude of Thomas, Bell and the rest of the cast in their interviews these past months, you haven’t been paying attention, but this documentary will dispel all doubt. They are thrilled to have the opportunity to work together again, they LOVE their fans, and they did absolutely everything in their power to make a movie the fans would love. There are several genuinely touching moments in the documentary.

After months of fan events at ComicCon, SXSW and elsewhere, Rob and the cast still made time to sign autographs and pose for pictures at Paleyfest. I even got a picture with Ryan Hansen (who, by the way is SUPER nice and nothing like Dick Casablancas).

I’ll be watching the digital download of the Veronica Mars movie we got with our Kickstarter contribution tonight with Celeste. I hope you will see it in the theater or via digital download on iTunes or Amazon or Flixster. If the determination, heart, decency and kindness of Rob Thomas and his cast can translate to box office success, Veronica Mars will be a smash.