E.208 When a Father's Death Shapes Who We Become

Resilience Development in Action

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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 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 places
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Fejezetek

1. Introduction to Resilience Development (00:00:00)

2. Bruce Wasser's Early Life (00:03:17)

3. Father's Illness and Sudden Death (00:07:16)

4. Coping After Dad's Death (00:12:57)

5. Becoming a Conscientious Objector (00:19:09)

6. Finding Meaning Through Teaching (00:31:27)

7. Navigating Grief on Father's Day (00:35:56)

8. Closing Thoughts on Bruce's Memoir (00:40:49)