The end of the road

Last night I said goodbye to one amazing lady. My gran was such a vibrant, independent person, who did what she wanted, how she wanted, and always encouraged me to do the same.

She was ahead of her peers in so many of her attitudes, it was a breath of fresh air. When we talked about moving to America, she was right behind us. When we moved to Sydney she actively encouraged us to go, casting aside her own desires to have us nearby, then flew all that way, twice, aged 86 and then 87, with somewhat limited mobility, to visit us, and follow her natural wanderlust.

While the last two weeks, sitting vigil by her bedside as she slowly slipped from us has been possibly the hardest thing I've ever done, I am so grateful that I could be there to give a little back to the lady who has given me so much. I'm relieved that I was in the UK to rush to her on that Sunday night, when she could still talk a little, thankful that the path we have chosen in the last few months put me close by, and afforded me the time to sit with her, and hold her hand, and remember and remember and remember - I think it must be fate.

And while that gave me the time to wonder what we are doing, swanning around so far from our loved ones, it afforded me yet more hours to remember how important it is to follow our dreams, because life is precious, and every experience is there for the taking, but you need to grab it by the hands and run with it to make it happen.

So now, when we continue on our travels, after all the official business has been taken care of, I know that your adventurous spirit can come with us gran, instead of being bound by a body that got weary before that amazing mind was ready to.

Thanks for all the inspiration, and the memories gran - it's been fantastic. And I won't say rest in peace gran, because while I hope you're at peace, I also hope you're kicking your heals up with all those you held so dear, having new adventures and making memories in a beautiful hotel in the sky.