Rob Delaney wants to destigmatize grief as he speaks about the first Christmas without his son

The actor said he felt sad, angry and confused.

Although it's a lovely time of year for many people, Christmas can also be a sad reminder of those no longer with us. The absence of a loved one can feel particularly more poignant at a time of year that is centred on family and friends. Actor and comedian, Rob Delaney has spoken honestly about the death of his two-year-old son and he has now opened up about his feelings having experienced the first Christmas without Henry. In a series of raw tweets, the 41-year-old spoke about how the family included his memory on the day.

Our first Christmas without Henry came & went. The day itself was okay, maybe because there were so many horrible, painful days leading up to it; we must have hit our quota or something. We talked about him a lot & included his memory throughout the day.

— rob delaney (@robdelaney) December 26, 2018

Rob included a sweet picture of his little boy and said that in being so honest and vulnerable, he wants to ensure other bereaved parents and siblings are seen, heard, respected and loved.

Tweets like this aren’t therapeutic to me, nor are they “updates”. I just want other bereaved parents & siblings to feel seen/heard/respected/loved. And maybe they might help someone not schooled in grief support a friend better. I don’t know.

— rob delaney (@robdelaney) December 26, 2018

My sweet boy pic.twitter.com/E6F2BScFoi

— rob delaney (@robdelaney) December 26, 2018

This isn't the first time Rob has opened up about his grief following his son's death. Earlier this year, he shared an essay in Medium about the heartbreaking time Henry spent in hospital before he passed away and took to Facebook to announce the harrowing news of his death, in which he praised his son's resilient spirit:

"His drive to live and to love and to connect was profound."

Rob has said his honesty is in a bid to destigmatize grief.