Father Loss

Does Moving Away Mitigate Grief?

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Thousands of miles now separate me from the landmarks of my memories with Dad. Here's what the distance has changed — and what it hasn't.

Vacant Seats

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I heard about Justice Scalia’s death at one of my last dinners with my beloved, if complicated, father. Months on, as the justice’s seat sat unfilled, so did Dad’s.

What to Keep When Someone Dies

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Banish guilt, set concrete limits, and other rules for figuring out what to save, store, and donate.

Rebecca Odes for Modern Loss

DNA and Middle C

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My son's resemblance to my father was always striking. But after my dad died, it took on new meaning.

Father's Day listicle

Random Acts of Dadness

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From rejecting perfectly good restaurant food to donating to worthy causes, I'm spending the first Father's Day after my dad's death trying to emulate his character.

What My Dad’s Suicide Taught Me About Resilience  

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A wellness coach offers practical advice for finding your center amid complicated grief.

‘I Have Some Very Bad News’

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Tasked with making and fielding calls to let people know Dad had died felt like collateral damage.

My Father’s Death Reminded Me I Married a Good Man

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My dad, on the other hand, was a cherished friend and a terrible husband.

Weaver Modern Loss

My Dad Died From Cancer — So I Made a Movie About It

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Thing is, expressing loss through art didn't heal my wound. It just exposed it to everyone, in feature-length format.

Sabin Modern Loss

My Summer of Few Words

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In the quiet of my solitude after loss and abuse, I noticed a voice I hadn't heard before -- mine.

Dad’s Dead. LOL?

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I used to joke that I wanted to die before my dad. The order didn't work out -- but I found I could still laugh.

Making My Dad A Searchable Term

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My dad died before the Internet. When I put his name out into the digital world, I couldn't have anticipated what would come back to me.

Limperis Modern Loss

The Year After My Dad’s Death Was the Best of My Life

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Assuming I was promised a century, I never worried about throwing away a decade. Watching my father die changed that -- for the better.

Object Amnesia

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We always had too many of my late father’s iconic dress shirts — until the Smithsonian wanted one, and we realized we had none.

Both Parents Are Gone. But I Miss Only One of Them.

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When I long to pick up the phone — and share my joys and my struggles — I only want to speak to Mom.

‘Daddy, Daddy, Where Are You?’

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After 9/11 my son asked for his father dozens of times a day, everyday — for nine years.

Cleanup in the Produce Aisle

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I was in Whole Foods when learned of my father's suicide. Going grocery shopping has never been the same.

Beyond Coincidence

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15 years after my father died suddenly, had he finally come to say goodbye?

21 Things You Probably Don’t Know About My Dead Dad

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No. 9: If he loved you, he'd write you an insanely clever poem for every birthday, milestone or minor holiday.

20 Things You Probably Don’t Know About My Dead Dad

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He never met my children, but they will know him through the photos, scrapbooks and stories of those who knew and loved him best. Through me.

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