The Today Show featured an exclusive interview with Zelda Williams, the daughter of Robin Williams, in which she talked about life after her dad’s death.
For many Robin Williams will always be the comedian, the actor from the extremely quotable Dead Poets Society (“Carpe, carpe. Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”), but to Zelda he’s her dad.
Her ability to speak so openly about his loss and what her life has been like the last 6 months helps her explain her dad’s legacy, but also helps all those who have lost someone they love.
With these words she’s making talking about grief less taboo – “I think it was important for him for people to talk about important things. It meant a lot to him. He didn’t like people feeling like the things that were hard for them they should go through alone.”
Here are some of the major takeaways from Zelda’s Today Show interview:
(1) Not every day is easy, but you’re able to get through them in your own personal ways
“Sometimes there are days when things are going to be really difficult, and having a reminder that is permanently there is nice.” The reminder she’s referring to is the tattoo of a hummingbird she has on her right hand.
Zelda Williams’ Instagram
(2) People may lose the same human being, but no one ever loses the same person.
“People should remember what they want to remember about him- what their childhood memories are, watching his movies, that’s their memories. That’s what’s important. I have mine and they are mine, and I love that. They are private and lovely and perhaps very different, but the difference is they have their memories, they should enjoy them.”
(3) Everyone defines grief differently and even though the what ifs are normal, they don’t ever have real answers at the end of them.
“There’s no point questioning [the loss] and no point blaming anyone for it and there’s no point blaming yourself or the world or whatever the case may be because it happened and you have to continue to move and you have to continue to live and manage.”
(4) THERE IS NOT “RIGHT” TIMETABLE FOR GRIEF
“It’s going to take a lot of work to allow myself to have the sort of fun, happy life that I had, but that’s important. Anybody who has ever lost anyone works very hard to continue that memory in a positive way.”
You can check out how Zelda Williams is continuing her father’s charity work by looking here.
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