In this heart-forward installment of Dear Alexander, Blue Feather responds to a soul sibling’s question: What stories do you remember of your dad, Cardell, and what’s helping you now in the midst of grief?

What unfolds is part tribute, part time-travel, and full embodiment of what it means to grieve with depth and beauty. From fire poles and Lake Powell to sleeping beneath stars and sneaking HBO glances in the ‘90s, Alexander shares radiant memories of a father’s devotion. We end with a sacred offering: the first time Alexander returned to the piano after Cardell’s death, playing a live version of “Waking Blue.”

With grief as teacher and Francis Weller’s The Wild Edge of Sorrow as guide, this is a field guide to remembering, breaking open, and blooming.

This is part of the Dear Alexander series: where spiritual correspondence meets queer Dear Abby, with a piano in the background and a splash of watercolor. Listeners from around the world send in questions, insights, heartbreaks, and aha moments. If you’d like to share what’s stirring in you get started now at viralmindfulness.com/dear-alexander.

Let’s keep asking brave questions and listening for the music that answers back.