Father’s Day is a day that triggers deep hurt and grief for many. When there’s been a death or divorce, desertion or even dementia, Father’s Day hurts. We can grieve the father we had or the father we wish we’d had. What are the best ways to manage Father’s Day grief?
I’ve rounded up the best posts on Father’s Day for the grieving. This curated list has posts for the many ways Father’s Day can hurt. Even if it’s a mixed day where you’re celebrating one father while grieving another, the words of these posts will bring comfort. Whether you’re grieving your own father, helping your children navigate grief for theirs or walking with a spouse or family member through pain, finding ways to intentionally approach Father’s Day will help you manage the grief it can bring.
Best Ways to Manage Father’s Day Grief
5 Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day When It Hurts
How do you manage when your heart hurts on Father’s Day? It can be painful for so many reasons. Your father has died, or left after a divorce or been absent when you longed for him. Maybe his anger or abuse or addiction kept him from being the father you needed. Do you just skip the day altogether or try your best to shut out the noise until Father’s Day has passed? Here are 5 ways we found to approach Father’s Day when it hurts.
10 Ways Grieving Children can Navigate Father’s Day
For children whose father is in heaven or hasn’t shown up as he should, Father’s Day can go from a happy celebration to a painful milestone. When my husband died, I couldn’t fix my children’s pain, but I’ve learned to be intentional to make it a meaningful day while also giving my kids space to grieve. If your children are facing a hard Father’s Day this year, I’m sharing 10 ways grieving can children navigate Father’s Day.
52 Bible Verses to Grieve With Hope
In deep grief, God’s word brings deep comfort. The Bible is living and active and meets the most broken and pain-filled places in our soul. “Within the Scripture there is balm for every wound, a salve for every sore,” Charles Spurgeon said. Early in my grief, I was desperate for comfort only God could bring. Some Bible verses anchored me when my world turned upside down. Some verses reminded me of God’s truth when lies threatened to pull me under. And some Bible verses brought hope that, despite the cavernous loss and sadness, life would feel good again. These 52 Bible verses to grieve with hope are some of my favorite scriptures to bring comfort when we’re hurting.
12 Bible Verses for the Fatherless and Single Mom
God loves the widow and fatherless. He has always taken care of them. God’s Old Testament laws made special provision for them, protected them and their land, and gave serious warning to anyone who took advantage of them.
And the New Testament does the same. The very role of deacon came about because of the church needed godly men of integrity who would make sure daily provision was made for the widow. Timothy gave detailed instructions to the early church on how to care for widows.
God’s very character is described as the defender of widows and father to the fatherless. Caring for the widow and the fatherless is not just what God does; it’s who he is.
How to Celebrate Father’s Day When Your Daddy is Gone by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young
The following are some ideas compiled with the help of some of my widow friends on how to remember and celebrate Father’s Day when a daddy is gone. I have found it’s important to make plans ahead of time, but to hold them lightly and cover ourselves with grace on the actual day.
Creating a New Remembrance Day After Death by Lori Apon
While many across the country honor dads in June on Father’s Day, our family chose a different time for remembering Father’s Day. Psalm 68:5 was quoted just 24 hours before my husband died, and I really believed that God would fulfill His word. The date of your husband’s death is the day that God became Father to your children as well (the Remembrance Day). Because of this truth, God gave our family a creative way to remember this day by leading us to consider our Remembrance Day as our new Father’s Day, replacing the traditional Father’s Day recognized by the world.
You can lead your children by letting them know that Father’s Day in June is to celebrate earthly dads, and while that is great for families who have them here, God has given them their own special day to honor their Heavenly Father! They truly have a new Father’s Day. By relocating that day and renaming it as your new Father’s Day, I found that it helped remove the string from the traditional day of honoring dads. It was a day we looked forward to, even though it was a sad and happy day, we always made it memorable.
Love to the Fatherless by Tara Dickson
Father’s Day. It should be such an easy holiday, right? A barbecue, a tie, a homemade card. It wasn’t for me and isn’t for so many and yet now, more than ever, I see the need to celebrate Fatherhood. The work these men are called to is holy. It’s one only they can do. As a child whose father didn’t live with her. I hungered for a father for many reasons…
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