My Grief Does Not Always Look Like Sadness | Dead Dads Podcast | Grief Support for Men
What does grief actually look like after losing your dad?
In this Dead Dads Check-In, we talk about the parts of father loss that don’t always get said out loud. The family vacation that feels off without him. The anniversary rituals that keep him close. The question of whether to keep his stuff or get rid of it. Crying in front of your kids. Dad jokes. Garage clutter. Random sayings. All of it.
This episode is for men dealing with grief, father loss, and the strange mix of sadness, guilt, humor, memory, and love that comes after your dad dies. If your grief has felt messy, uneven, or unexpectedly funny at times, this one will feel familiar.
Dead Dads is hosted by Roger Nairn and Scott Cunningham.
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What you’ll get out of this episode
- A more honest picture of what grief can look like after losing a father
- A reminder that grief is not just sadness. It can also be guilt, laughter, rituals, and random memories
- A way to think about what to keep, and what to let go
- Reassurance that grief moves around. It does not show up the same way every day
- Permission to cry in front of your kids without feeling weak
- A reminder that remembering your dad can happen through small family traditions, not just big emotional moments
- The feeling that you’re not the only one whose grief looks messy, uneven, or unexpectedly funny
Chapter list
00:00 When your son sees you cry
00:32 Where grief sits right now
01:09 The first family vacation without dad
01:51 How we mark our dad’s anniversary
02:29 Helping your kids remember their grandpa
03:10 Dollar store memories and dad clutter
04:09 The appliances dads absolutely did not need
04:57 First concerts and dads waiting in the car
05:17 Should you keep your dad’s stuff after he dies?
06:37 Is it okay for men to cry?
07:06 Crying in front of your kids after father loss
09:20 Are dad jokes actually funny?
10:25 The expressions every dad repeated to death
10:49 Garage junk, batteries, and classic dad behavior
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Dead Dads Podcast is produced with the support of JAR Podcast Solutions, the branded podcast agency that helps organizations build shows people actually want to spend time with. Learn more at https://jarpodcasts.com/