She stood there silently, letting the wind caress her face. The chill was nearly unbearable for most, but in her reverie she hardly noticed it. Slowly, she closed her eyes, behind her eyelids seeing images of old memories, feeling as though she were back there in the places where her life was perfect. Suddenly the wind picked up, and no longer could she ignore the cold wearing through to her bones, creating delicate icicles on her eyelashes. With a sad sigh, she began to trudge toward her destination, toward the canyon where she could let her spirit fly like an eagle.

Every step she took was sheer agony on her muscles, they protested each movement she made. But she loved the pain, it made her feel more alive than ever before. Through her mind coursed vivid thoughts of the one she had lost. Everyone told her that the pain would dull over time, but it never had. Each passing day only caused her heart to feel more deeply, caused the loss to sink further into her heart and soul.

Closer and closer she got, remembering more and more. Through her mind shot memories of perfect Christmases sitting on her daddy's lap, watching old holiday movies. There were never many presents, sometimes there were none at all. But there was always an abundance of love, and that was something she would never forget. Suddenly she thought of the ocean, how they used to sit and watch the waves without saying a word. The ocean waves would always come and go, come and go. They never stayed, which was something that struck her, even as a little girl. The waves seemed to pause for only a moment or two, as if testing to see if that was their resting place. But they never stayed for more than those few moments, until they were lost to her forever.

She was nearly there now, at the top of the mountain. The urn pressed to her chest was growing heavy now, but she only held it closer to her heart, as if willing it to become a part of her. It was a difficult climb up to the top of the mountain, but every step made her feel more free and alive. She took in her surroundings; everything was white and covered in snow and ice. It was truly beautiful, with the sun shining in the western sky, getting closer and closer to it's destination, just as she was.

Finally she reached the top, taking a deep breath as she took her final step toward the edge. Looking down was truly breathtaking. The canyon far below was lit up with the final light of the sun, everything shone brilliant colors of orange, pink and red. Inside she felt emotions swirling around, no emotion stayed long enough for her to identify it. She clutched her father close to her, in his intricately carved wooden urn. Slowly, she took the lid off the top, and tipped the urn sideways. At that moment she felt free and happy, something she had not felt for such a long time. She watched her daddy swirl off into the sunset, the cold winter wind bearing him on toward destinations she could only imagine.

After what felt like a lifetime later, she dropped to her knees, tears spilling from her eyes in such a river that they had no time to freeze on her cheeks. She cried her soul out into the cold winter wind, knowing that at last, everything would be ok again. Daddy was finally free, just like the ocean waves; he had been with her for a while, but now it was his turn to leave. But she knew that someday, she would be there with him too, free as the wind.