A moving tribute from the young daughter of late actor James Van Der Beek is touching hearts online after she shared how she continues to honor her father’s memory and hold onto hope in the wake of his passing.
In a video shared on Instagram by her mother, Kimberly Van Der Beek, 9-year-old Emilia spoke candidly about grief and how she copes with the loss of her dad, who died on Feb. 11 at age 48 after a nearly three-year battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
Introducing herself at the start of the video, Emilia explained she wanted to share advice with others who are grieving the loss of someone they love.
“As you all probably know, my dad has passed away, but I’m just going to tell you little tips or anything that helps you getting through anybody you love passing,” she said.
Her first piece of advice was simple but heartfelt: allow yourself to feel your emotions and talk to the person you’ve lost.
“If you miss them, you can cry. You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day,” she said. “I start with a sentence, and I say, ‘Hi, Dad. I miss you, and I love you so much, and I’ll never stop loving you.'”
Emilia shared that she often tells her dad about her day and how she is feeling. Though she can’t hear him respond, she believes he can still hear her.
“I know he can hear me, but I can’t hear him,” she said.
The young girl also expressed her faith-filled belief that her father is now in Heaven and free from suffering.
“He’s in a good place,” Emilia said. “He’s not in pain anymore, he’s in Heaven.”
View this post on Instagram
Throughout the video, Emilia encouraged others grieving a loss to allow themselves to experience a range of emotions — happiness that their loved one is at peace, sadness because they are missed, and even anger. However, she reminded viewers not to blame themselves.
“It’s not a good strategy for someone’s passing,” she said gently.
One of the most touching moments came when Emilia revealed she keeps one of her father’s hats as a special reminder of him.
“My dad’s hat smells like him, and I love it so much,” she said.
The video ended with Emilia thanking those who had donated to a GoFundMe set up by friends to support the family. She also reflected on the love many people had shown her father.
“I know that he was a good man,” she said. “A lot of people loved him, and people prayed for him.”
Posting the video, Kimberly shared that Emilia had asked if she could make the tribute herself, adding that the family continues to feel deeply supported by the outpouring of love.
Shortly before his passing, James and Kimberly renewed their wedding vows, a final act of devotion after years of marriage. In announcing his death earlier this year, Kimberly said her husband faced his final days with “courage, faith and grace.”
For Emilia and her siblings, that legacy of love and faith continues to live on — one heartfelt conversation with their father at a time. ❤️?
Read Previous Post
