3 Ways to Honor Your Dad This Father’s Day

Jon Lefrandt, founder of For Grief, knows how challenging Father’s Day can be: Jon was a young man, just beginning his adult life, when his father died of brain cancer, leaving him to help care for his six younger siblings. (You can listen to Jon discuss his experience on Grief Is My Side Hustle and Widowed Parent Podcast.) This month, to help make June 18 feel a little lighter, we’re sharing three ways to honor your dad and keep his memory alive.

Volunteer in memory of your dad

Giving back to others in memory of your father may boost your spirits this June. Here are just two opportunities to consider: gather friends and family to pick up trash from your dad’s favorite hiking trail or park; Or, if you prefer an indoor option, write letters of encouragement to patients undergoing cancer treatment. Have other ideas? Please share them here!

Find support and validation in books

Books about parent loss can be especially comforting. Some we recommend include: Loss of a Parent: Adult Grief When Parents Die, The Fatherless Daughter Project: Understanding Our Losses and Reclaiming Our Lives, and Always Too Soon: Voices of Support for Those Who Have Lost Both Parents. Find more of our favorites in our Grief Support Bookstore. 

Visit a place your dad loved

Go back to your father’s favorite restaurant or community garden. When you arrive, remember the time you spent there together and try to recall what your dad loved about the place. Carving out this kind of time can be especially soothing. 

If you have other ideas for celebrating your dad this Father’s Day, we encourage you to share your thoughts on the For Grief Facebook Community page – your experience may help others. Request to join the community here.