If you are looking for a way to remember your deceased Dad this father’s day, consider making an online memorial Web site in his name. It can provide comfort as a place to come back to routinely to post new thoughts or photos of your Dad to celebrate his life and make him an active part of your life even after he’s left this earth. 

A great place to start building your memorial site is Memory-of.com. On the site you can upload video and audio files, create a family tree and provide an area for others to post comments. The hosting is free for two weeks then hosting costs a low monthly or yearly fee.

Full description of Memory-Of is on page 168 of Mom Minus Dad.

I wish I had known about AARP’s grief and loss website when my father first died. It has a lot of helpful checklists and information about grief. The topics names their articles cover include Final Details, Urgent Details, Steps to Take, Necessary Papers, and Claiming Benefits. You don’t have to be an AARP member to access the information.

Below are a few questions I asked Sheila Warnock, author of Share the Care recently for my monthly newsletter…(sign up for monthly newsletter here)

JH: When an adult child first realizes they need outside help in assisting a newly widowed parent, what is the first thing they need to do to assemble support team or “caregiver group”? How soon after loss do you think this should take place?

 SW: GET EVERYONE ON THE SAME PAGE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. A family discussion with your siblings and newly widowed parent will enable your family to honestly determine what kind of assistance is needed, who in the community might help and how fast you need to get organized. It’s crucial to recognize if your parent will need a great deal of support, or if they can do well just cushioned with loving practical and emotional backing for a few weeks or months. If a parent needs constant companionship and physical care other options may need to be considered with input from his or her physician. The key is to agree support is needed. A parent might resist allowing others to help fearing loss of independence, being perceived as a burden, or that they could never reciprocate. (more…)

A new Web site just launched to assist divorced, widowed, remarried and single men with children. Here’s the news release From Business Wire:

“SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Local entrepreneur and single father Richard “RJ” Jaramillo today announced the launch of SingleDad.com, the first comprehensive online resource and social network developed for single dads. Created to address the needs of a growing number of men raising families, the new site provides an array of services, advice and referrals, plus an interactive social network to connect single dads nationwide. The site celebrated its launch on Father’s Day, June 15.

Founded in 2007 by the single father of three, SingleDad.com is a free web site dedicated to helping single dads navigate through the challenges of single parenting by providing the highest quality resources to support the family’s continued health, wealth and general well-being. The site’s content is geared toward divorced, widowed, remarried and single men with children.

“When I first became a single father nearly a decade ago, there was parenting information available, but it didn’t address the unique needs of single dads,” Jaramillo said. “Even today there is a limited amount of resources geared specifically toward meeting their needs. More fathers are raising families on their own and SingleDad.com can help them manage the everyday challenges they encounter.”

No other site includes both the resources and social networking capacity that SingleDad does. Members can post comments and How-To’s online (for both dad and family), and search and post events in the area. The site’s articles cover a variety of topics written by Jaramillo, SingleDad.com staff and outside experts. SingleDad.com‘s interactive social network adds a personal touch that enables members to build their network, post their own hosted meet-ups (scheduled connections with other dads in the area), and trade helpful tips and advice with other great dads across the country.

About SingleDad.com

SingleDad.com is the first comprehensive online resource developed for single dads. Created in 2007 by entrepreneur and single father of three, Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, the site offers an extensive array of valuable services, advice and referrals to help single dads navigate through the daily challenges of single parenting by providing the highest quality resources and timely information to support the family’s continued health, wealth and general well-being. SingleDad.com is more than just a portal; it’s an interactive, social network that instantly connects single dads nationwide. For more information please visit our site at www.singledad.com.”

Today it was announced that unfortunately, Senator Ted Kennedy, 76, has a malignant brain tumor. His adult children from his first marriage are in their 40′s, busy with their own lives and now face their father’s cancer diagnosis. This happens all too often. It happened to me. Below are my three recommendations for other adult children like Ted Kennedy’s adult children who face a parent’s cancer diagnosis…
A parent’s cancer diagnosis can shatter your life as you know it. Within twenty-four hours, you embrace challenges and blessings of a caregiver life. Many families facing cancer must decide which doctor, treatment plan, and cancer hospital the parent should choose-fast. Some top cancer hospitals such as the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center or the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center can have six-to-eight week waiting lists to see a doctor.When my father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2000, my sister and I immediately booked a flight home to be with my parents. Within one week, we learned everything we could about non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and made the best educated decision regarding Dad’s immediate treatment. The choices boggled our minds. Dad’s diseased strengthened every minute we waited. Everyone’s situation is different. After the experience my sister and I went through with my Dad’s cancer treatment, I would do a few things differently.

Consider the following three suggestions and resources when your parent confronts a new cancer diagnosis.

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