Man got a call from late dad's phone. When he answered, he realized the true meaning of grief

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is difficult and people have their ways of coping and grieving. Sometimes, it just takes the most mundane memory to recall them and then, sudden waves of grief hit the person again. In such moments, one is often unaware about what to do but Dillon Michael White offered help by sharing his experience and explaining how he coped with the grief. The man shared an Instagram video mentioning that he received a call from his late father’s cell phone. He mentioned that it was past 9 pm and that it was very unusual for someone to call him at that time. “All of a sudden, my phone goes off,” White said. “I looked at my phone and much to my surprise, it said, ‘Dad Cell,’” White added.

White didn’t hit him at first, White realized within seconds that his dad had passed away 3 years ago. White didn’t know what to expect but answered the call nevertheless. “Very hesitantly I answered, ‘Hello?’” White then revealed that it was his mother who was calling from his dad’s phone. “She kept my dad’s cell phone and still pays the monthly bill,” White said, astounded. He further expressed that receiving a call from his father and getting hit with the reality that he is no more brought in overflowing emotions. “As I was sitting there with the phone, waiting to slide it open and even afterward, the deep yearning that you feel,” White said, holding back tears. He then shared a memory of how he had always been scared of losing his father at a young age since he was much older.

“When I was in college, I always had this fear. My dad was 50 when he had me. I was always scared of him dying when I was young,” White explained. He added how he’d go up to his dad’s face and check whether he was breathing when he was a kid. “It’s probably traumatic but yeah,” he said. White then shared what he learned about grief and coping with the same concerning the loss of a loved one. “I read this somewhere. When someone dies, the first memory that leaves you is the sound of their voice,” he said. He further mentioned how that statement stuck with him. “I have been saving voicemails from my dad ever since I was in college,” White said. These weren’t special voicemails or so, they were random.

“I remember there was one voicemail where the machine beeps and he’s like, ‘Oh, that’s how a phone works,’” White recalled, chuckling to himself. “That’s hitting a lot,” he said. White pointed out that it is equally important to voice and share grieving experiences to let people know that it’s okay and offer suggestions to cope with the same. “If you’re struggling, especially out of the blue, that’s okay, that happens,” White assured. He further added that the only way to deal with it is to “sit with it, feel it, grieve it.” “It certainly doesn’t just go away. Several people were grateful for White sharing his experience and his suggestions for the same. Many even shared their experiences and vented. @sammygirl75 said, “Lost my mom three years ago. Still haven’t listened to my saved voicemails. I just can’t yet.” @tamarapbutler said, “The deep yearning. I understand.”

You can follow Dillon Michael White (@dillonmichaelwhite) on TikTok for lifestyle-based content.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on February 9, 2024. It has since been updated.