Kurt Cobain's daughter writes heartfelt letter 30 years after his passing: 'Gifted me a lesson'

Losing a loved one inevitably brings profound grief. Over time, people learn to move forward, cherishing memories of their loved ones in their hearts. American singer Kurt Cobain’s daughter, Frances, shared a post on Instagram revealing the precious things she learned after her father’s passing, per The Daily Star. She shared some memories about her father, who tragically died by suicide at just 27. Remembering him from when she was little, Frances shared a heartwarming post on Instagram.

The first picture in the post is a portrait of Cobain’s hands, followed by childhood pictures of Frances with her father. “30 years ago, my dad’s life ended. The 2nd & 3rd photos capture the last time we were together while he was still alive,” she explained. She then mentioned how the late singer’s mom often stressed that her hands were just like her father’s. “She would breathe my hands in as if it were her only chance to hold him just a little bit closer, frozen in time. I hope she’s holding his hands wherever they are,” she added. The next few pictures were of childhood pictures of Kurt Cobain with his mother and him just being himself. Frances continued her caption, explaining how her father’s death impacted her perspective on loss and grief.

“In the last 30 years, my ideas around loss have been in a continuous state of metamorphosing. The biggest lesson learned through grieving for almost as long as I’ve been conscious is that it serves a purpose,” she wrote. Frances beautifully illustrated how life and death are intricately connected and mutually enhancing. She said, “The duality of life and death, pain and joy, yin and yang, need to exist alongside each other or none of this would have any meaning. It is the impermanent nature of human existence which throws us into the depths of our most authentic lives. As it turns out, there is no greater motivation for leaning into loving awareness than knowing everything ends.” 

With a heavy heart and hopeful smile, Frances reminisced the memories with her father as she noted endearingly in the caption how much more she’d have loved to spend time with him. “I wish I could’ve known my Dad. I wish I knew the cadence of his voice, how he liked his coffee or the way it felt to be tucked in after a bedtime story,” she said. Adding more about her learnings on life and death, Frances commended her father for leaving her with an understanding of the same like no other. She wrote, “He gifted me a lesson in death that can only come through the lived experience of losing someone. It’s the gift of knowing for certain when we love ourselves & those around us with compassion, with openness, with grace, the more meaningful our time here inherently becomes.”

Frances shared that her dad had written a letter addressed to her. She mentioned that the last lines, “Wherever you go or wherever I go, I will always be with you,” are a promise she anticipates every day. “He kept this promise because he is present in so many ways. Whether it’s by hearing a song or through the hands we share, in those moments, I get to spend a little time with my dad and he feels transcendent,” she concluded.