"You're free now", she heard herself whisper in what she could only describe as a quasi-dreamlike state. She stopped for a moment, realising the enormity of those three little words: "You're free now." What did that mean? How could she reconcile her deep sense of loss and grief with the realisation that her dad was no longer in pain? He had escaped the earthly confines of his diseased body and was now somewhere travelling the ether, the universe, the great unknown. I guess he was on the journey of his lifetime, wherever that was, whatever that was. However, that was. It simply was. It is.

He showed no fear or reluctance to embrace his new journey, with finality, to let go of the past and all that was, all that had been: Finally surrendering to the great unknown. His final act had beckoned, and with great dignity, humility and presence, he had dipped in his head in reverence, taking his last bow. Unbeknown to him, his life's journey had garnered incredible respect, loyalty and love. Well, from those that mattered, anyway! A privileged few saw his final act. Yet within days, many gathered, throwing themselves into celebrating the life and the man in a thunderous and gracious applause, a standing ovation. He was revered. He was special. He mattered.

Ultimately, his body was tired, but his mind was at peace. He knew love, he was love, he loved. He knew deep pain, loss and personal grief, but he had never let that destroy his deep sense of gratitude, joy and acceptance. He was free to be whatever, wherever, whenever, however. Free to be, or not to be. Free to travel on the transcendent tides and thermals of life, much like a majestic eagle soaring high. He was free to delve to the deepest depths, like a ghost whale dancing amongst the tidal flow. His final act of disobedience, or courage, was to unfurl his spirit from his broken body and, in doing so, sever the ties that bound his fractured being together. He was free - and she was free to see her dad as something more than he had ever been, more than just a man, more than just a mere memory. He was, as is she, an integral part of humanity, the universe, and the collective—no different from grains of sand on the beach. However, each is uniquely beautiful, multi-nuanced and with purpose.