My Dad Was Sick, Not Bad: What Addiction Taught Me About Forgiveness

How We Navigate Grief with Blair · Jul 7, 2026 · 5m

In 2019, I walked onto a stage in my hometown and shared my story publicly for the very first time. My mom was there. My dad was there. My Baba Leah was there. I could see them in the room while I delivered my keynote, and I will carry that image with me for the rest of my life.

I am so grateful now that I spoke while he could still hear me.

I had spent years keeping certain things quiet. And what I learnt about keeping skeletons in your closet: you forget that, amongst those bones, there is flesh and organs. Sometimes those skeletons are not secrets at all. They are real people, with real…