Since my father died of heart failure at age 61 last month, one of the nicest comments I received was, “He must have been a great dad, because he raised a great son.” I was fortunate: my dad was a loving father who taught me a lot about how to live my life. Many memories have come flooding back since my dad passed away. Fortunately, these memories are mostly positive and I can see how his influence shapes how I parent my children. When you lose a parent, you may pause to reflect on how you might leave the world a better place for those you love the most.
Normally in this blog I try to offer practical suggestions that might help readers through various issues, the ultimate goal being to promote more awareness of how our own choices affect our psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being. There are choices to make with grief, also. Most importantly, choose to experience grief rather than denying your feelings in hopes they’ll just go away. Choose to spend time remembering your loved one; embrace the memories you treasure and if you have regrets or hard feelings, make the choice to come to peace with the memories that bring pain. Seek the help of a counseling professional if you find this is too difficult to do on your own.
Our parents bring us into the world, and when they leave the world a piece of us no doubt goes with them. Memories and love remain, and the legacy of a positive parent lives on, in us and through us and the choices that define our lives.
