When Jayson Greene was in the fourth grade, his teacher gave him an assignment that most kids get at some point in grade school: What do you want to be when you grow up? Jayson mentioned two goals for himself, one of which may come as a surprise for a kid in grade school. He wanted to be a writer, and a father.

On this episode of Paternal, Jayson discusses his celebrated 2019 memoir Once More We Saw Stars, which chronicles the life and death of his two-year-old daughter Greta, and how he and his wife Stacy dealt with the grief stemming from their daughter’s death and the challenges of becoming parents again to their son, Harrison.

Jayson also discusses the striking parallels of birth and death, and how he and Stacy communicate with their son about his sister, and the family’s recurring commitment to hope in the face of grief.

Learn more about Once More We Saw Stars here and read Jayson’s 2016 essay “Children Don’t Always Live” from the New York Times here.

Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at www.paternalpodcast.com. You can also email host Nick Firchau at nick@paternalpodcast.com with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.