Ray was a motorcyclist and so a bike parade was held before the funeral mass, with a detour to his home. The mass was also curated, with Nicola’s partner Chiara selecting the readings and writing the ‘Prayers of the Faithful’ to reflect her late father’s life mission and the family speaking to the Archpriest beforehand to help him understand Ray’s character.

Peter Paul Galea from the popular band Tribali was on hand to lead a musical send-off.

“This experience taught me that we are afraid to do things the way we feel is right, or our own way, far too often, either due to fear of societal expectations or judgement,” Nicola said.

“I was adamant to channel my father’s personality throughout this experience, one of the largest facets of which being, to do things with your heart and with genuine intention. We must not be afraid to follow the path we feel is right for us – you can do this while also being empathic, respectful of others, gentle and kind.”

She added that society doesn’t teach people how to process and cope with death and other kinds of separation, despite this being an inevitable part of life.

“As a society, we need to work on this, and on learning how to become more resilient and be better prepared at facing such adversities. As a professional in the mental health field, I aim to work towards this and be part of a movement where we are more equipped at processing loss and help others to process loss,” she said.

Nicola also said that her father’s death, the result of severe complications triggered by a very bad chest infection, helped her realise how important it is to take care of one’s physical and mental health.

“How many times have we said ‘I’m fine, it’s just a cold’ and gone about our day without taking a moment to sit with our body and pay attention to our aches and pains? How many times have we felt pressured to go to work anyway, or guilty if we take a sick day?”

“We live in a society where we trivialize things, soldier on, and are proud of the fact that we soldier on through everything. I myself have been guilty of this, just soldiering on, but through a lot of work on myself, therapy, and being open to the fact that I have the right and duty to choose the steps I take in life, and change my course of action regardless of fears, judgement, or otherwise, I started swiftly moving away from the influence of others and listening to my body, my spirit, myself.”

She concluded by noting that while we cannot control exterior events, we are in control of how we respond to them.

“It is our responsibility to deal with our issues and not let them impact those around us. As hard as it can be, if the environment or people around you aren’t helping you grow, it is you who has to make the decision to say goodbye.”

“Let us aim to be beacons of hope, peace and happiness. You do not need to be an influencer to influence others. Whether you have a few dozen or a few thousand friends on your social media, what you share and post can still influence another’s day and mindset. A smile at a stranger in the street can impact the outcome of the day for that person and yourself.”