Sorry for your loss. There was much what you said resonated with me. I lost Dad through alcoholism - self harm for him really - a number of years ago. Think of him often and I'm filled with anger sometimes. Had my two boys as toddlers and they missed out on him as a grandad. When you lose someone there isn't a template for " dealing with it ". There are stages to the grieving process. If just tells you what you " should / could " be feeling. For me grieving is a horse's for courses process. Example my mum had a stroke , brought 5 of us up on her own, and frankly she didn't " deserve " losing her sight, being in a wheelchair and she was suffering so I wanted her to go. As a Catholic I had many a conversation or " frank discussion " with God - about fairness and all that. So mum and dad's death were so different. My humble opinion is this. Time can be a good healer and although a cliché, is so apt. I liken grieving to getting a sharp prod in your heart daily, but the sharpness gets blunter. You can feel it but over time, the pain gets blunter. Seek help if you feel it is having an adverse affect on your life, becoming all encompassing. If you feel that as time goes by, the pain lessens, then all well and good. You'll probably get to a stage when there will be a day or two when you don't think about him. It's normal. As I say I wish there was a " reference book " for helping grieving people but there isn't. I just hope for you the pain gets a little less for you over time. ( Try to avoid listening to Mike and the Mechanics, as one of their tracks is very poignant for all of us who have lost a dad ). Good luck buddy.