The former president, who is now 82 years old, is confronted with his own cancer diagnosis.
Biden’s spokesperson disclosed on May 18 that he had been diagnosed with a “aggressive form” of prostate cancer.
Biden’s ambitions were allegedly impeded by sorrow at times. At other times, it seemed to imbue him with valiant leadership qualities and empathy.
In 2019, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, stated to Politico that “Joe Biden has almost a superpower in his ability to comfort, listen, and connect with people who have just suffered the greatest loss of their lives.”
Jessica MacNair, a licensed professional counsellor, stated that calamities such as those that Biden has experienced throughout his life can frequently alter an individual’s sense of identity.
“When losses are repetitive or formative, grief can become a defining characteristic of an individual’s life,” MacNair stated.
“When grief is a central theme in an individual’s life,” she continued, “coping is not about moving on; rather, it is about incorporating loss into one’s life in a meaningful way.”
Biden’s narrative is obscured by death and grief.
Neilia Biden was returning from a trip to select the family tree when she was travelling home with the couple’s three young children, six weeks after Biden won his first Senate election and a week before Christmas.
At the intersection of Valley and Limestone roads in Hockessin, Delaware, a tractor-trailer collided with their Chevrolet station waggon.
Neilia Biden, 30, and Naomi Biden, 13, passed away prior to their arrival at the hospital. Hunter Biden, who was two years old at the time, and Beau Biden, who was three years old at the time, sustained severe injuries.
In his 2007 book, “Promises to Keep,” Biden described the sensation of oscillating between a state of numbness and being cut by pain so sharp that it was “like a shard of broken glass.” He wrote that his surviving sons were the only thing that prevented him from expressing his most ominous thoughts.
“I would gaze at Beau and Hunter as they slept, contemplating the new horrors that awaited them in their own dreams, and I would also wonder who would be able to elucidate to my sons the reason for my absence,” Biden wrote. “I was aware that I was compelled to fight for my life.”
Beau Biden was raised to become a federal prosecutor, a major in the Delaware National Guard, and a two-term attorney general of Delaware. He intended to pursue the position of governor.
Then, in 2015, Biden’s firstborn son, who served as his source of inspiration, passed away at the age of 46 following a protracted battle with brain cancer.
In his 2017 memoir “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose,” Biden wrote, “I miss him so terribly – already.”
“My anxieties were consistently dispelled by Beau.” He and Hunter spared my life 40 years ago, following the deaths of Neilia and Naomi in the car accident. However, what was I to do now?
According to Gina Moffa, a bereavement therapist in New York City and the author of “Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss,” grief can be profoundly transformative.
Moffa stated, “Grief can function as a harsh teacher, removing what is unimportant.” “It reorients life around a sense of purpose, service, and connection for many, including public figures such as Biden.”
She added, “There’s the person before the loss, and then there’s who you become after.”
“He is beloved by God.”
Biden, who was then serving as the vice president for a second term, publicly ruled out the possibility of a presidential campaign five months after Beau’s death.
“I am aware from my prior experiences that there is no set timeline for this grieving process,” Biden stated in an address from the White House Rose Garden. “The process is not particularly concerned with or respectful of matters such as filing deadlines, debates, primaries, and caucuses.”
Other members of the Biden family were also deeply affected by Beau’s passing.
Jill Biden, the former first lady, has discussed the “crushing” anguish she experienced and the solace she found in writing. Ashley Biden, the daughter of Jill and Joe, received a tattoo on her wrist that read “courage, dear heart” in response to the passing of her older sibling.
Hunter Biden experienced a relapse of alcohol addiction and subsequently developed a dependence on crack cocaine.
Hunter Biden wrote in his 2021 book that his family attempted to organise an intervention at one point.
He remembered his father saying, “I am at a loss as to what to do.” “I am extremely frightened.” Inform me of the appropriate course of action.
Joe Biden, while serving as president, observed his son, Hunter, being tried and convicted of felony gun charges. Subsequently, Hunter entered a plea of guilty to neglecting to pay his taxes. During his final days in office, Biden made the controversial decision to grant his son a comprehensive pardon.
He is doing exceptionally well; may God bless him,” Biden informed USA TODAY in January. “I am grateful that he is thriving.”
Biden likely grieved the life he envisioned for his younger son, which, similar to the loss of Hunter’s mother, evolved into the person he is today. Grief is a complex emotion that extends beyond mortality.
Leave a Reply