Father’s Day can be a challenging day for those who have lost their dads. No matter how long ago he has gone, it still hurts the people who loved him. If you feel this and would want to do something in his memory, here are a few things you can do alone or with the family.
1. Spend time with family
While it’s tempting to grieve alone, spending time with the family actually helps a lot with the heavy emotions. Get the family together for a meal and share good memories of dad. It can be a something funny he said or did, or a retelling of his favourite stories. It’s also good to talk to your little nephews and nieces or his grandchildren about him during his time too so that they know who he was. Families who can’t meet up can do so over video call to bring everyone together.
2. Honour the other father figures in your life
We might feel alone when we lose our dads but never forget those who have stepped in to provide support during the trying times. Give a call to your grandpa, uncles, brothers and cousins, and invite them out for drinks or a meal.
3. Write a tribute
Penning emotions down has always helped to give clarity to how we feel and can help in the process of healing. Let out pent up feelings in the form of a song, poem, blog post or an artwork. These works can be shared with family members or kept for your own personal reading. If words aren’t your strong suit, creating a beautiful memorial video or making a scrapbook highlighting the family’s favourite moments with dad works too.
4. Pass the torch
Another lovely way to honour your dad is to continue championing the good causes that were close to his heart. Even if your dad wasn’t a champion for causes, you can still perform acts of kindness especially to those who need it. Volunteer to help out in any way that you can such as helping out at hospices, helping to raise funds to support single parents or helping to spread awareness about men’s health issues.
5. Visit his favourite place
For those who want to feel closer to their dad, they can visit spend some time at dad’s favourite place. It could be his favourite park, museum, the beach or even the house balcony where he lovingly watered the plants. Spend time to take in what fascinated him about the place or think about what he has told you about the place which made it significant to him. Spending time at his favourite place also gives you a space for contemplation and away from the fuss from well-meaning relatives.
6. Creating new traditions
The usual celebrations will feel different for some when dad’s presence is no longer felt. If carrying on the same traditions without dad feels too much, the family can try creating new traditions in his honour. Perhaps, the family could meet up and visit his grave on Father’s Day and enjoy a family lunch or dinner after.
