I lost my mother on New Years Day, very unexpectedly. First the shock and then the grief. As a father I struggled with what my reactions should be and whether or not I had the strength to make it through such a challenging time and fully support my son in his grieving. What I know is I felt extreme pain and sorrow. I needed to express it and at the same time I felt I should try to be a pillar of strength for my son. As fathers, we may have been raised to believe that we ...should not cry, feel pain or show weakness. I think that all these things are an important way to show our children that even dads feel and express emotion, setting the tone for coping with great losses in our lives. Its a reinvention of the father, one who feels vulnerability, sympathizes and can carry his children through a family's toughest times. We will all be faced with loss at one time or another. What will be your life's lesson?