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

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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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