Grief and Growth: Finding Purpose After Losing a Father episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 11, 2025 · 43 MIN

Grief and Growth: Finding Purpose After Losing a Father

from Resilience Development in Action: First Responder Mental Health · host Steve Bisson, Bruce Wasser

Send us Fan MailBruce Wasser shares his journey of losing his father at age 15 and how this profound loss shaped his decision to become a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and ultimately led to his 33-year teaching career.• Growing up in Seattle with his father Joe, a WWII veteran who instilled values of teamwork, equality, and community• Devastating loss of his father to cancer just 14 months after diagnosis when Bruce was only 15 • Becoming an overachiever in school and sports as a response to grief• Drawing the draft lottery number 90 during Vietnam and applying for conscientious objector status• Finding surrogate father figures in coaches, professors, and public figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.• Discovering his calling as a teacher where he could identify and connect with students who were hurting• Experiencing what his wife calls "post-traumatic growth" – becoming more empathetic through trauma• Suggestions for grieving on Father's Day: share grief with others, write letters to your father, find meaningful placesPlease like, subscribe and follow this podcast on your favorite platform. A glowing review is always helpful and, as a reminder, this podcast is for informational, educational and entertainment purposes only.Freed.ai: We’ll Do Your SOAP Notes!Freed AI converts conversations into SOAP note.Use code Steve50 for $50 off the 1st month!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showYouTube Channel For The Podcast

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 11, 2025

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Send us Fan Mail Bruce Wasser shares his journey of losing his father at age 15 and how this profound loss shaped his decision to become a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and ultimately led to his 33-year teaching career. • Growing up in Seattle with his father Joe, a WWII veteran who instilled values of teamwork, equality, and community • Devastating loss of his father to cancer just 14 months after diagnosis when Bruce was only 15 • Becoming an overachiever in school an...

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Grief and Growth: Finding Purpose After Losing a Father

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This episode was published on June 11, 2025.

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