Families Find Ways To Celebrate Memories Of Dad On Father's Day
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - While Father's Day is a celebration for many, there are also families who have lost fathers. CBS2's Cindy Hsu reports on how those families are coping.
Retired FDNY Battalion Chief Edward Henry died from COVID-19 complications on May 5.
"Sadly, this year a lot of people lost their fathers and we're not the only ones in that situation and, you know we'll make the best of it," said his son, Michael Henry.
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The family told Hsu they plan to head to their beach house, which their dad loved, and celebrate Father's Day by being together and grateful for the time they had.
"We easily could have lost him 19 years ago on 9/11," said Henry. "He was in the collapse and he survived it...And we firmly believe he's in a better place now. He's probably smiling down on us."
Dr. Jeffrey Gardere, a psychologist, lost his father years ago and honors his memory with a family dinner.
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"Do some of the things that he often loved to do, which is talk about politics over dinner," said Dr. Gardere. "...just talk about who he was and some of the funner moments that we spent with him."
You can also create a scrapbook with pictures and memories, plant a tree in his honor or donate to a charity he liked.
"You could write a letter to your dad expressing how much you may miss him and how your life has changed because of him for the better," said Dr. Gardere.
You can hold onto those letters and pass them down to younger generations.
Hsu said she spends Father's Day looking through photo albums and talking about the things she loved most about her father.