Grief touches fatherhood in many ways. You may be mourning your own father—loving, complicated, or estranged—or you may be a father grieving the unimaginable loss of a child. Whether you're navigating years of grief or facing it for the first time, these articles offer support, insight, and compassionate guidance to help you carry your love and loss with care.

In the articles below, you’ll find heartfelt reflections, practical tips, and compassionate support from both bereaved children and grieving fathers. Whether you’re looking for ways to honor your dad, navigate milestones after loss, or make space for your grief as a father, these resources are here to walk with you—wherever you are on the path.

June 9, 2025

Whether your grief is fresh or decades old, Father’s Day can resurface emotions you weren’t expecting. This article helps you validate your feelings and find healthy ways to tend to your loss.

June 6, 2025

Father’s Day can stir up a wave of emotions when your relationship with your dad was painful, distant, or unresolved. This article offers gentle guidance, journaling prompts, and self-care practices for anyone grieving a complex father figure.

May 28, 2025

After the sudden death of my stepfather, I wrestled with guilt that didn’t always match reality. In this piece, you’ll learn a compassion practice to help you separate grief from self-blame and offer yourself understanding when it feels hardest to do so.

June 12, 2023

When my stepfather died, I said “yes” to organ donation—an act of compassion he had pre-planned. In this personal reflection, I explore how that choice shaped my grief, created a sense of connection beyond death, and offered comfort in the complexity of our relationship.

July 14, 2021

During my career as an addiction professional, I worked with many individuals who had trouble forgiving what they perceived to be injustices done to them by their families, close friends, or peer groups. Frankly, there are certain actions that are impossible for others to forgive.  Being able to forgive is viewed as key to “letting

June 28, 2021

Until he met Patty Furino, bereaved father Dave Roberts didn’t believe that the signs he kept seeing were coming from his beloved daughter, Jeannine. But soon, everything changed. In this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Dave shares his journey of love and loss and how the signs from his daughter transformed from triggering waves of grief into joy, and how they remind Dave that Jeannine is still close.

June 17, 2021

In episode 50 of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Reid Petersonshares his story of losing both father figures in his life and the grief that comes with living without those important people. Although he was not close to his biological father the way he hoped, Reid still grieves the relationship that he wished he had with him. After his loss, Reid found support through grief groups but wanted more consistent support. This led him to create a grief support app that offers daily audio messages for grief education.

June 11, 2021

In episode 49, bereaved father Eric Hodgdon explores how he leads a life of intention in the wake of incredible pain over the death of his daughter, Zoi, who died by suicide. He shares his fond memories of a loving and fun girl who was a sweet, supportive peer to those who knew her. Family, friends, and patients who traveled their mental health path alongside her all remember Zoi as a very special person.

January 19, 2021

Rabbi Steve Leder is no stranger to grief. As a rabbi, he has consoled hundreds of families over the years during their most difficult times. In his new book, The Beauty of What Remains, he walks us through his experience of losing his father. He takes us on the journey of self-discovery of how he

April 21, 2020

Dreams and sleep are understandably impacted as we all try to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Those of us who are already grieving carry an extra load of anxiety in addition to an already aching heart. In this episode, returning guest Dr. Joshua Black shares helpful insights that will empower us to take care of our emotional

July 24, 2019

MINDFULNESS & GRIEF PODCAST EPISODE 21Widowed ParentsReimagining Life for You & Your ChildrenWith Justin Yopp, Ph.D. SHOW NOTES Coping with your own grief when a spouse dies is hard enough. But what do you do when on top of that you need to raise a grieving family, get everyone to school on time, pay all

May 31, 2019

In the 19th episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, R. Glenn Kelly (Ron) shares on the job self-care tips, as well insights into how business leaders and colleagues alike can cultivate a grief-literate work environment. A bereaved father and business leader, Ron is the author several books, including Grief in the Workplace and Sometimes I Cry In The Shower.

March 26, 2019

Who am I now? I rolled those four words through my mind frequently just after I lost my precious son and only child. I had been the father to an amazing young mentor who had changed the very core of who I was several times in his short sixteen years on earth. Then on a dreadful, tragic day, Jonathan’s fragile heart unexpectedly failed, and he took his final breath in my loving arms. Who am I now?

March 13, 2019

Things pass, transform, change – and we must learn how to live with our eyes wide open for what is here right now. Laurie talks about turning your attention to the love that shines through the sadness.

February 19, 2019

Losing one parent as a child is devastating. Losing both is unimaginable, yet there is always hope for a new beginning …

December 17, 2018

Grieving my alcoholic father meant holding sorrow, love, and disappointment all at once. In this reflection, you’ll discover how mindfulness helped me navigate a complex relationship and how it may support you through your own journey of loss.

December 13, 2018

In the twelfth episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, I interview Dave Roberts, LMSW, author, and founder of Bootsy & Angel Books, LLC, and most importantly, the father of Jeannine, who died of a rare form of cancer when she was 18. Dave supports other grieving parents through his work with The Compassionate Friends, in his private practice, and through writing, speaking, and teaching in the psychology department at Utica College.

December 7, 2018

An Eye For an Eye? I have often told my students at Utica College that karma isn’t about an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth. If that was true, we’d all be blind and eating our meals through a straw. For someone like me, who tends to value sacred law as

June 27, 2018

MINDFULNESS & GRIEF PODCAST EPISODE 2​​The Kindness Rocks ProjectWith Megan Murphy SHOW NOTES When my husband and I found our first “kindness rock” in Hagerstown City Park on Easter Sunday, I had no idea that I was stumbling upon a worldwide movement rooted in a woman’s journey of love and loss, and her longing for guidance

July 29, 2017

After my stepfather died, I experienced something I couldn’t explain—an unexpected moment that felt like a message from beyond. In this story, you’ll explore what it’s like to receive a sign from a deceased loved one and how to reflect on its meaning without needing certainty.