Emilia, the 9-year-old daughter of James Van Der Beek, expressed her grief nearly a month after her father's untimely passing. On March 8, the day marking her father's first posthumous birthday, Emilia stood outside as she shared her thoughts on losing her dad, who passed away at the age of 48 following a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer on February 11.
"As you are probably aware, my dad has left us," Emilia began, before offering "little tips" to help others navigate the pain of losing a loved one. "Talking to them and letting your emotions out is the number one thing for someone who has passed," she said. "If you miss them, you can cry. You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day. 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 further explained how she processes her grief, saying, "You have to feel them in your heart, because they're in your heart. They're watching over you. They're a part of your body and in a good place." She added, "I know that my dad is in a good place. He's not in pain anymore. He's in heaven above the clouds with God and the Lord."
Emilia also encouraged those who have lost a loved one to "be happy they're in a good place," but also to "be sad because you miss them." She continued, "Everybody has different emotions in their body, and they express it in different ways. Many, many different ways. And don't let anybody tell you that. Be like, 'No, you don't know how I feel.'"
In the minutes-long video, Emilia also shared that "Everything is meant to happen for a reason." She said, "Something my dad told me was if this doesn't work out the way he wanted it to and the way we wanted it to for him living, I still have to believe in miracles. Miracles can still happen, just later on in life, and they'll keep coming."
Emilia also revealed some things she's done to remember her dad after his death. "I stole his hat," she said. "My dad's hat smells like him, and I love it so much." She added, "I know that he was a good man. A lot of people loved him, and people prayed for him, and he was loved by...many, many people." Emilia also gave a shoutout to supporters who donated to a GoFundMe created by friends of her mother Kimberly to raise money for her and her family.
The video was shared on Kimberly's Instagram on Sunday and was accompanied by a caption that read: "Emilia asked me if she could make a video to post today, walked outside and came back with this." Kimberly also honored her late husband with a series of sentimental Instagram Stories posts featuring photographs and videos of James, including many with their six children—Emilia, Olivia, Annabel, Gwendolyn, Joshua, and Jeremiah.
