We organised a beautiful ceremony for her on her favourite beach, Point Addis. A friend of mine, Carol, performed the ceremony. Janey, a long-term friend, and my partner were there as well. I was grateful to be able to share this amazing moment with the people I loved. Of course, Jake and Emma were also present. The ceremony was charged with so much love, emotion and spirituality because of its location. Point Addis is my favourite beach too, because it is where the forest meets the ocean. The beach spreads towards the never-ending horizon, and the coastline looks as if it had been created by the footprint of a giant. The cliffs mark the imaginary line between the seven seas and the flora, where the ocean gently embraces the sand of an ever-changing coastline.
When the beach meets the ocean, the sand explodes into whirlpools of tiny particles, white caps and crystal-clear water. Coastlines here are among the most beautiful and inspiring landscapes in the world. Coming here had always recharged my batteries and Mum had felt a similar effect. I hugged the ceramic heart containing her ashes. I felt happy and relieved to be here with her and thought about her:
I will be able to spread your ashes in your favourite spot, so they mix with the sand and ocean that you loved so much, and you will forever be bathing in the sunshine that you adored, Mouch. The sun on your skin always made you so happy. You will be the light from above when I look at the horizon. The wind and the rain will mix your ashes in an ocean as blue as your Australian granddaughter’s eyes. You will always be part of my dreams, Mum, my beautiful soul, slave to temptations. I will finally be relieved that you are where you belong.
I remembered she would let her body cook on the beach until her skin was toast because each ray of sunshine was bringing her the energy she needed to lift the darkness that had taken hold of her.
We read a poem, said goodbye and floated sunflowers in the water. Then we tilted the large white ceramic heart and the wind carried her ashes into the sea. A sunflower means goodness, truth and timelessness, and this is why Lolo and I picked this flower to celebrate my mum’s life. I wanted to picture her life as a sunflower; a powerful, strong and stable stem holding a beaming sun shining on her life. Standing in the shallow water, we also sprinkled yellow petals into the waves and called them ‘the petals of life’. They represent spirituality. It suited her. The four grandkids, my sister and I touched the large white ceramic heart one more time and all of a sudden, we let her go. She was free again, free to go wherever she wanted and mixed up with nature, which she loved so much. She was free to do whatever she wanted without anyone or anything ever holding her back now. She had always been a free spirit, and free she was again.
