On Tuesday the Los Angeles County coroner’s office released the body of Paul Walker to Forest Lawn Mortuaries, bringing his family one step closer to being able to lay him to rest. On November 30, Paul perished in a horrific accident and left behind his family, friends, fans, and most importantly the love of his life – his daughter Meadow Walker – whom he had with ex-girlfriend Rebecca McBrain.
According to TMZ Paul’s family is planning a small and private funeral that will include the cast and crew of the Fast & Furious because, “in Paul’s world his movie’s cast and crew is part of the brood.”
A source close to Paul’s family said that his family wants to keep the funeral private and intimate because at this time, “their biggest concern is Paul’s 15-year-old daughter Meadow, who is understandably having a difficult time. They don’t want a bunch of strangers surrounding the girl, because she needs to feel comfortable to grieve.”
Paul’s family is also planning to hold a larger memorial sometime following his funeral, but that too will be by invitation only.
Recently Paul spoke with US Weekly about his excitement over his daughter Meadow moving from Hawaii to California to live with him. Paul said, “I’m glad I had her at 25, because at 40 and 15, we’re matching up sweet. It’s just working,” and went on to describe her living with him as, “perfect.”
A source told US Weekly that Paul, “was happier than you can imagine to have her living with him full-time. She was the love of his life, he was an amazing dad and he was so happy that she chose to live with him because he never felt like he got enough time with her.” The source went on to described Paul – who was a big kid at heart – and Meadow as, “two peas in a pod, [that] loved hanging out and playing video games or basketball or going to Disneyland.“
Meadow was obviously a daddy’s girl who adored her father, and having seen them together I can say that he mirrored that love and admiration right back at her. So understandably Meadow is having a difficult time coping with her father’s sudden death. A source said that, “Meadow is getting help but it’s still just the first stages, she’s going to have a long road ahead,” and indeed she does.
I lost my father suddenly before I was 20 and it impacted me in ways I still feel. Adolescents – a time described as a period of storm and stress because of all the changes physically and mentally one is going through – becomes truly time of storm and stress when you are forced to deal with a debilitating heartbreak.
Compounding her stress is the fact that Meadow’s mother lives in Hawaii, and so decision will have to be made about whether or not she returns to the Islands or remains in California.
There is no doubt that Meadow is embarking on a journey of grief and eventually healing that will last a lifetime, with some of her hardest days ahead. For me it was when the initial shock wore off and the finality of my father’s death became real. Luckily Meadow has a large network of loved ones around her who will help her through this may it be through sharing fond memories, offering her guidance, or simply listening.
The weeks and months ahead will not be easy and although she will likely find that the old adage, “time heals all wounds,” is not completely correct, she will see that time does make the pain more bearable as she begins to find her new normal. And Meadow will find a new normal with the spirit of her dad always with her, as she continues on the legacy of love and graciousness that he left behind.