Missing Our Dads and Grandpas on Father’s Day
Father’s Day is a day to celebrate our fathers and grandfathers. But what if your dad and/or grandpa(s) are no longer with you? It still can be an occasion to fondly recall happy times together and celebrate what made these men so special.
In our book, The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last, 32 individuals tell how they keep alive the memories, values, passions, and legacies of their loved ones. For example, singer/songwriter Jen Chapin (daughter of the late folk rock icon Harry Chapin), who lost her father when she was 10, carries on his legacy of music and feeding the hungry.
Jen and Harry Chapin
Jen’s recordings have been described as “soulfully poetic,” “politically aware,” and “brilliant.” She has served as chair of the board of directors of WhyHunger and also supports Long Island Cares, an organization Harry founded.
Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma (a physician who is the sister of Yo-Yo Ma), keeps the memory of her father and music teacher alive through The Children’s Orchestra Society, which he founded and she and her husband have continued.
Janine Lavery, an elementary school principal, lost her father when her daughters were very young. She made a memory book for them so her daughters could visualize and cherish happy times with their grandfather.
TV Personality Nick Clooney told us that his grandfather’s value of social justice not only influenced him and his sisters — singers Rosemary and Betty — but lives on in his son, actor George Clooney. Nick said that George’s humanitarian work in Darfur can be traced to his grandfather’s legacy. Both Clooneys traveled to Darfur together and made a documentary about it. Because of his celebrity, George raised awareness and money, attracted support and even addressed the UN in an attempt to focus attention on atrocities in the region.
Nick and George Clooney
If you are missing your father and/or grandfathers on Father’s Day, here are a few ways to keep their memories alive on Father’s Day.
Share stories and anecdotes about your father and/or grandfather.
Make a memory book of happy times with your dad/grandpa, and talk about the photographs, e.g. where you were, who was there, what that time meant to you, etc.
Remember your father/grandfather’s best advice and wisest sayings, follow and share.
Write something — a poem, a song, a recollection — about him.
Listen to his favorite music.
Perform an act of kindness in his honor.
Give to a charity in his memory.
Engage in a sport or activity he loved, e.g. golf, baseball, playing cards, etc.
For more ideas on how to keep memories alive, read The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last: http://www.amazon.com/Living-Memories-Project-Legacies-That/dp/0988255375/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394317575&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Living+Memories+Project
