A Father's Journey of Raising a Daughter Through Grief

Introduction

We all have our own struggles, and for AJ Coleman, his struggle was compounded by the death of his young wife. He was left with a small daughter, a toddler to raise on his own, as well as the grief of losing someone he loved dearly. We will explore AJ’s story and how he found the strength to move forward in life while dealing with his grief.?

The couple’s first child was 2 months old when they received the devastating news of his wife’s cancer.??She’d die shortly after their child began taking her first steps. As any grieving spouse would do, AJ felt lost and overwhelmed. He was now a single father raising their daughter alone while trying to cope with his loss.???His turned his love and attention onto raising their daughter.

AJ didn’t know how he would manage it all on his own but he was determined to find a way. He turned to a few friends and family for support and leaned into activities that the two could do together.??AJ could be found at playgrounds sitting alone watching as his daughter played.??The dating scene was confusing to him as he wondered - was this person just being friendly or was this a date? He chose instead to focus on being present for his daughter and honoring his wife’s memory.

He eventually remarried - but only after feeling secure enough in himself that the decision was truly made out of love rather than loneliness or obligation.?

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Through it all, AJ remained focused on what mattered most—his daughter. He worked hard to provide her with stability through the challenges he’d face.??Men’s washrooms didn’t have change tables in them – how could he change her diaper he’d learn to do so with one hand.??Throughout he remained strong emotionally so that he could be there for her in every way possible—even if it meant working late and not always getting to daycare on time.??There were times, he’d leave work early to pick her up and she’d ask him to go away for an hour she was playing with her friends. Their daughter, now a teenager presents AJ with a new challenge - dating.

Grief is never easy but it can be made more bearable if you have the right support system in place—as was the case with AJ Coleman’s journey raising a daughter after the death of his wife. His story speaks volumes about how one can be resilient in the face of tragedy and reminds us all of the importance of leaning into our grief. AJ never sought professional help for his grief, however he did find friendship, learnt to grieve, and have his faith restored on a trip to Israel.?

His motto throughout was this “Every day is a good day, no matter the circumstances.”

We hope this story encourages those who are currently going through similar experiences so they know they are not alone!

To learn more about AJ’s story, you can?listen here .

Or read his book Keep those Feet Moving