The actress revealed that she was in mourning several months after the death of her father.
Hilary Swank is reflecting on her painful loss in 2021. The actress revealed on Friday that her father, Stephen Michael Swank, died earlier in the year.
Swank took to Instagram hours before the New Year began and shared a snapshot of herself and her father smiling for the camera.
"This past year was a big one for me and I know for so many of us. I have been off my phone and social media for a couple months due to a tremendous personal loss," she wrote. "In October, my Dear Dad, made his transition to the other side."
Swank explained that she had "a rather unique relationship" with her father, as she was his "sole caretaker after a lung transplant seven years ago."
"I grew incredibly close to him during this time, deepening our relationship and savoring every moment we had together. He will always remain one of my most favorite persons and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him," she shared. "But in this physical loss, as devastating as it is, I was awakened to the truest sense of living again. It helped me better understand the circle of life and where we come from and where we go back to, which has connected me back to my truest self."
Swank explained that the experience of losing her father, and the lessons she's now learned through that pain have "helped me forgive, to move past the things that hold me back, in whatever form that takes each day. As well as being deeply connected to the Ultimate Source and therefore, my Dad, always."
Swank concluded with a message of hope and inspiration for those reading her tribute.
"This last year I hope whatever trials and tribulations you all have had on your life journey bring you closer to your truest essence and help guide you into this New Year with whatever blessings you most need," she wrote. "We are all in this together. I love you all and am grateful for this community. 🙌🏽 Peace and Many Blessings to you, in all the forms they may come. ✨"
According to his obituary, her father died on Oct. 1 at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Westwood, California, "surrounded by love" from his family, including the two-time Oscar winner and her brother, Dan Swank.
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