Death of a Parent

Mourning a Man I Never Knew

This spring, I turned fifty-four. I have now outlived the father I never knew: my biological father. It’s been almost twenty-three years since we spoke; eighteen years since I learned of his death. I’m still dealing with the strange grief of his loss.

Adam – Advice

Adam shares his advice about losing and remembering a loved one

Matt – My Story

Matt tells how he found his birth mother and then lost her.

Hope – Going back to school

Hope talks about the shift she felt when she went back to school after her father’s death.

Bryan – The Three Fs

Bryan talks about the three cornerstones that he lives by …three f’s and how they support him in living a hopeful and positive life

Keeping Records

I pulled the photos out of their envelope one at a time, turning over each one to carefully record the date, place, and people in the photo. Sometimes, I included comments. “Apple picking in Hamilton with Pop Pop, Fall, 2023. You loved the wagon ride!”. I slipped each picture into an empty pocket in my son’s photo album.

Jeff – “Change”

Jeff reflects on the ebb and flow of grief during the healing process. Jeff continues to grieve the death of his mother.

Scott – The grieving process

Scott talks about how his song ‘The Good Man James” was about his father, their relationship and how it helped him process their relationship. Find the song at his website www.dotbmusic.ca

Kim – Facebook and connecting

Kim – discussses our need to connect and how Facebook was useful after her Mum’s death

Lyss – Depression, Anxiety, and Self Harm

Depression, anxiety, self harm, theapy, support, mental health, suicide

Jeff – “Talking About Grief”

Jeff outlines the story of losing his mother to cancer and the difficulty he experienced when he struggled to acknowledge his grief after her death.

Bryan – Vulnerability

Bryan talks about things are not always OK and that’s OK and things are going to get better