5 Ways to Support Your Fatherless Friends on Father’s Day
Losing a parent leaves a void inside that can not be filled, but the love of a few good friends goes a long way
Every time Father’s Day would come around when I was a teenager, I was angry. Angry at the blatant disregard for fatherless kids like myself. My friends’ dads were not my dad. My uncles were not my dad. Perhaps my grandfather could have stood in, but he died, too.
I was bitter. Can you tell?
I had trouble wearing a smile, celebrating fatherhood, and all fathers everywhere.
How did I react? With silence.
Every advertisement and mention of Father’s Day reminded me, yet again, that my dad had died. I didn’t appreciate the reminder. Nor did I like the pity from friends or the uncomfortable silence that followed talk of their own Father's Day plans. Invariably, it led to crying and missing my dad even more.
Now that I’m grown, however, I react differently. I am more open to celebrating dads and father figures. My friends who have lost parents at an older age aren’t as bitter as I once was. They can handle their emotions and deal with the loss in a more elegant way. The death of a parent hurts differently for everyone. Having an estranged or…
