It was a gravelly sound, punctuated with the thunk of the spades as the workers shovelled earth into the grave. There was a certain air of finality to it. In a tragedy, there comes a certain point when what seemed surreal begins to take a grim shape. For me, that was it. There was something about the act of burying that seemed so inevitable.

I tried to imagine what she was feeling, aside from her grief. Like stopping the workers? Swiping at the sand that was slowly piling up? Telling everyone to please go home because I just want to spend some time alone with my father without all you people who hardly knew him anyway?

The poor girl could hardly have had any moment to herself between the time of her dad’s passing late last night, and the ceremony early this morning. Yet, in her sorrow and her strength, she looked heart-breakingly beautiful. From afar, I caught sight of her through the gaps between the leaves of plants and shrubs dotting the graveyard that seemed to frame her almost-cherubic face – and all of a sudden I taken by the notion that her dad, the photography buff, would’ve taken such a perfect shot of her.

He has taken gorgeous shots of her on their family trips. I like to think that he liked to because he thought she was like an angel.

He wasn’t just talented with aesthetics (it’s written all over their house). He was warm, charismatic, interesting, funny and all of that to all of us who knew him as the coolest dad we’d ever met. I admired how he raised his family to be open and loving and affectionate to each other and to others, just like he himself was. In all the years we’ve known him as the cool dad, he was really the loving dad who gave his kids just what they needed.

She has showed such amazing strength and endurance through the whole ordeal. I am truly, deeply sorry for your loss, from the bottom of my heart. We were so fond of him and we will miss him.

I believe that those who have left us all too early are in a better place now and that one day we will see them again. As long as we keep them in our hearts, they’ll never really be gone.