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If Your Father Has Recently (Or Not-So-Recently) Died
Father’s Day When Dad’s Gone
To know grief is to know love. Losing a parent is one of the most painful life cycle experiences. How you navigate through that grief is completely personal — it doesn’t take the shape of anyone else’s grief. Whether your father was by your side last Father’s Day and isn’t going to be there this year or you’ve been missing the closeness you once had with him or rarely spent Father’s Day with him, it’s important to label and honor your emotional and spiritual needs on this holiday. As the day approaches here are a few things to keep in mind.
Be kind to yourself. This is not the time to avoid your feelings or play the part of everyone’s resilient hero. It is a time to be the hero to yourself. That includes getting enough sleep, eating well, getting some exercise, and taking care of the hunger or yearning within by listening to the voices speaking within your soul. OK- so the last piece here is to breathe. It’s a funny request, breathe. Yet, it’s rather ironic that the thing we do to exist is often suppressed leaving many folks gasping for more air. Please, breathe!
Plan for the day. If you know this will be a difficult day for you, don’t ignore what you know. It’s pretty difficult to unknow what you know. Make a plan for the day. Even if you think you might be OK on Father’s…
