By Darlene Machtan

As Father’s Day approaches for the seventh time since my dad died, I find myself again envying those who are able to truly celebrate this annual tribute to fathers everywhere. This year, however, I am feeling my dad’s presence stronger than in the past. Father’s Day is more sweet than bitter for me, having just released my most recent book, Daddy’s Long Goodbye.

This memoir is the story of being my father’s caregiver beginning with his move to our home in January 2012. It is the story of the joy, sorrow, laughter and tears Daddy and I shared until his eventual death almost two-and-a-half years later.

It took me over six years to write this book because reliving some of it was very difficult, and for that matter, still is. However, it is my hope that since so many other adult children are caring for their aging parents, it might offer comfort in the knowledge they are not alone. I was initially concerned that others might not relate to this very personal story, but readers have assured me that is not the case.

One reviewer writes, “Even though it is Machtan’s personal journey of her experience losing her father, it is a narrative that anyone who has lost a parent can relate to, and it should be compulsory reading for others who will be faced with this fateful situation in the future…Daddy’s Long Goodbye promises to be a good read that will help you understand you are not alone as you deal with an aging parent, and the subsequent grief that follows.”

Yes, you will probably find yourself crying sometimes as you read this book, but you will also smile and laugh out loud. Ultimately I hope you feel the redemption and peace I have come to discover, despite the fact that it was a journey filled with self-doubt.

Daddy’s Long Goodbye is a companion piece to my previously released memoir Conversations with My Mother. That book chronicles the staggering impact the death of a matriarch has on the adult children and husband who somehow must survive without her.

Machtan’s books are available on Amazon in paperback and as eBooks or can be purchased directly from the author by emailing machtdar@gmail.com.