Yesterday,
Gom closed her eyes for the very last time.
She passed away peacefully
quietly, gently, and without fear.
Though our hearts are heavy,
they are also full of love and deep gratitude.
Gom spent the final years
of her long life with us
years that, for the first time,
truly belonged to her.
After decades of suffering and exploitation,
she was finally free to just be herself.
No chains. No commands. No rush.
Only freedom, peace, and dignity.
Even though she had gone deaf in the end,
she still sensed the world with such grace
through touch, through scent,
through warmth and trust.
She could feel the forest.
She could feel us.
And we could feel her.
The last years were a gift.
Each day was a gift
for her, and for all of us.
We lived every moment slowly, fully, gratefully.
We saw her resting
standing quietly beneath the trees,
calm and strong,
surrounded by the rhythm of the forest
that, at last, had become her true home.
In the final months, her body grew fragile.
Her trunk sometimes trembled so much
that she couldn’t pick up her food on her own anymore.
So we stood beside her
feeding her with our hands,
with patience, gentleness, and love.
She had carried the weight of the world.
And when she needed us,
we carried her.
The last year wasn’t easy.
There were days
she couldn’t get up on her own.
But we were always there,
helping her rise again.
We knew her time was nearing.
But she was still with us,
and we were still with her.
Yesterday,
her body told us:
It’s time.
She laid down,
let go,
and drifted away in peace.
We will never forget you, dear Gom.
Thank you for trusting us.
Thank you for allowing us to walk with you
at the end of your journey.
Now you have returned home.
Forever.
.
.
