Two weeks before she was found dead on a beach in Arnos Vale, Tobago, model and actress Vanna Girod compiled her thoughts on life, death, love and spirituality into an 87-page motivational book she said was her gift to the world.
Girod, 30, sent the document on January 12 via e-mail to a list of friends, saying she hoped it “brings you as much realisation about life as it has for me”.
The document was titled “ThAnkh U-niverse Subtle Martial Art-ing of The Mind”.
In her writings, she said she had a experienced an ebb and flow of “wondrous curiosity for life”.
She encouraged others to embrace life and be strong.
“When you find yourself in a low energetic funk, firmly plant your feet into the ground, stand up, shoulders back and remember that miracles and amazing things happen because you exist,” she wrote. Girod also encouraged those who read her writings to let go of unnecessary judgement.
“A person can have the world on their shoulders and you wouldn’t know it,” she wrote. “Because we teach ourselves to hide and keep the truth hidden from those that are taught ostracism as a result of not conforming.”
She penned her thoughts on life and its losses, saying death is not the end.
“The truth is that everything lasts forever or as long as you want it to exist lasting. You feel it in your heart, once you’ve loved a person, place or thing—it never dies because energy never dies. There is no end.
“Death is but a door, a short step from one destination to another. When you have given your time in a way that makes you and the other person feel something, there is never loss when one or the other has to leave this plane of existence. You have created magic, an energy of a moment in time, you can always return to using the same magic,” she wrote. “...We lose people, things and memories, not because we are meant to experience loss but because we are made to remember that time is the substance we are made of and we must use this time not to dwell on our losses but to abandon all old thoughts and look forward to new days, new experiences and the ability to always start from scratch.”
She further encouraged readers to never dwell on the negative aspects of life.
“You are worthy. You are everything you need to be right here and now,” she wrote.“Be grateful for your eyes opening every morning, your hot cup of coffee, humans to wake up to, a blue sky, birds singing, other life forces outside of your home and most of all another day of this incredible life.”
Girod’s body was found on Wednesday, one day after she had been reported missing.
Her brother, Dillon Girod, told the Express on Wednesday his sister had been dealing with mental distress after the death of their grandmother last month. He said Girod had been staying with an aunt at her villa in Arnos Vale, Tobago but was told she had a mental outburst and became violent.
He said she had minor outbursts in the past but was not diagnosed with any mental health issues and was not on any medication. Girod started modelling at age 15 and appeared in ads for apparel and food distribution companies. She also landed roles in several local film productions including Between Friends (2012) and Moko Jumbie (2017).
Tobago police continued investigations in her death yesterday.
