A daughter of the Ocean, Kiza, was raised on the sands of Bali by her father. When a terminal illness takes him away from her, she becomes destiny’s favourite child.
He leaves her several letters – words, to last her a lifetime. This is the first of them.
“To Kiza,
My Warrior Princess,
There’s going to be very painful moments in your life that will change your entire world in a matter of minutes. I believe this is one of them.
These moments will change you. Let them make you stronger, smarter and kinder. But don’t you go and become someone that you’re not. Cry. Scream if you have to. Then you straighten out that crown and keep it moving.
I’m sorry I couldn’t fight longer. But you will. And you’ll survive. In fact, you’ll thrive.
Do so with tremendous passion, compassion, humour and style.
I’ve done a lot of thinking through this final chapter of my life. And I’ve learnt that life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful, it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.
I implore you to travel the world in search of its wilder shores.
Wander across the seven lands and seas in vans, cars, buses, trucks, trains, trams, airplanes and boats. You’ll make a lot of mistakes, and do a lot of things you’ll regret, but you will lead many interesting lives…and you’ll go through a thousand shades of weather every day.
You will learn that everything changes. What matters the most is how well you walk through the fire.
You’ll have massive gains and massive losses, and you’ll learn that bitterness only corrodes the vessel that holds it.
And more than anything, you’ll learn to love unconditionally. It’s the bravest thing you’ll ever do.
Get out of your house. From your cave. From your car. From the place you feel safe. From the place that you are. Get out and go running. Go funning. Go wild. Get out from your head. And get growing, dear child.
Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they’re doing. Do things without always knowing how they’ll turn out. You’re curious and smart and bored, and all you see is the choice between working hard and slacking off. There are so many adventures that you miss because you’re waiting to think of a plan. To find them, look for tiny, interesting choices. And remember that you are always making up the future as you go.
Patience, my dear, is the key to happiness. Trust in the unknown.
Sitting quietly, and knowing all good things are on their way. It appears at times that they aren’t. But it’s just a test of your own inner emergency broadcast system.
Because the time is now, may you LIVE everyday of your life!
Stay humble and do your best, my precious. Have courage and be kind. It’s the only way to lead a meaningful life and inspire everyone around you.
Enjoy your life. And please remember, the wind is never so strong that you cannot sail a little closer to it.
With Love and pride,
Pops
This is young Kiza’s journal. In it, lies a journey to everywhere…
