Original Reddit post

I (40s M) had a decent middle-class childhood. I was “raised right” and had a good “village” of aunts, uncles, and grandparents to help when my parents couldn’t. My brothers and I were never “touched” or abused by any family members or neighbors. We had a good relationship with both our parents. My brothers and I all live in different cities, but we call home once a week or FaceTime. Then, my mom died, and my dad became distant. I’m going to assume he was beside himself with grief. My mom was a gem of a woman, and they were together (courtship through marriage) for over 50 years. I kept reaching out to him, but to no avail. Previously, I would call, and after talking with my mom (if both my parents weren’t on the phone together), my dad and I would have long conversations about anything and everything. Usually, we talked for about 45 minutes. After my mom passed, even a 5-minute conversation feels like a victory. I have asked him if he would like to talk to a professional (I have two friends who are psychologists, and both gave me contact information for grief counseling), but my dad strongly rejected it. This has been going on for almost a year and is getting worse, and I don’t know how to fix it. submitted by /u/JayBailey79

Originally posted by u/JayBailey79 on r/AskMen