Elizabeth Gilbert – the author best known for the book Eat, Pray, Love – has shared a moving message on Instagram in memory of her partner, Rayya Ellis.
The 57-year old tragically passed away this week.
Along with the following photo of Ellis playing guitar, Gilbert wrote the following.
(We’ll just quote her word for word, in its entirety, out of respect.)
She was my love, my heart, my best friend, my teacher, my rebel, my angel, my protector, my challenger, my partner, my muse, my wizard, my surprise, my gift, my comet, my liberator, my rock star, my completely impossible non-cooperator, my otherworldly visitor, my spiritual portal, and my baby.
I loved you so much, Rayya. Thank you for letting me walk with you right to the edge of the river.
It has been the greatest honor of my life. I would tell you to rest in peace, but I know that you always found peace boring. May you rest in excitement.
I will always love you.
Gilbert went public with her relationship with Elias in September of 2016 … after Elias was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer, the latter of which is an incurable disease.
The happy and sad news came a few months after Gilbert split from her husband, Jose Nunes, whom she famously wrote about in her bestselling book, Eat Pray Love.
It was the story of a woman at a crossroads in her life, who went off in search of answers.
Each chapter was divided into sections; about food, about religion and, at last, about romance.
The memoir was turned into a hit movie that starred Julia Roberts as Gilbert.
On New Year’s Day, Gilbert posted a pictre of the couple embracing in front of a fireplace.
“Happy New Year, everyone. You made it. We made it. Blessed be. #2018,” she wrote as a caption.
In June, meanwhile, Gilbert and Elias shared a “ceremony of love,” which Gilbert explained wasn’t legally binding, but which she described as “just a private celebration of what we have long known to be true: We belong to each other.”
She added this past summer:
More difficult days are to come. It doesn’t get easier from here. Her illness is grave. But our love is strong. We will walk together as far as we can go together.
After that, it all gets turned over to God. Create beauty with every day you are given.
May Elias rest in peace.
