Meghan McCain Visits Late Dad John's Snowy Memorial on New Year's Eve: 'I Love and Miss You'
Meghan McCain is ringing in her first New Year without dad John McCain.
The View co-host, 34, posted two sentimental photos of her father’s memorial plaque to Instagram on Monday and wrote a short, emotional message to the late Arizona senator, who died at age 81 on Aug. 25 following a battle with glioblastoma.
“Happy New Year Dad @senjohnmccain. I love you and miss you more intensely than I can possibly say ~ Illegitimi non carborundum,” she captioned the two snowy photos of a memorial bench in honor of her dad, decorated with American flags.
The phrase “Illegitimi non carborundum” stems from Latin origin and translates to “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”
Meghan originally tagged the location to be in Cornville, Arizona but has since removed it.
Although it is not clear where the memorial photo was taken, John was buried at the Naval Academy cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland. His burial spot was next to the grave of his best friend, U.S. Navy Adm. Charles “Chuck” Larson, who died in 2014.
A post shared by Meghan McCain (@meghanmccain) on Dec 31, 2018 at 4:33pm PST
Meghan has been candid about her grieving process since her father’s death, often sharing her thoughts through social media posts. Most recently, she shared photos on Christmas that paid tribute to him.
In one snapshot, posted on Christmas Eve, the Arizona Republican is standing by an outdoor grill, with tongs in hand, while wearing a baseball cap and a flannel shirt. In the other, posted on Christmas Day, he’s dressed in a blazer as he sits smiling on a bench.
“Merry Christmas, Dad. Wherever you are – I love you forever,” she captioned the photos.
Shortly after sharing the images, one person suggested she do her mourning “in private.” In response, Meghan was quick to defend her posts.
“If there’s one thing I’m doing in 2019 it’s to continue to destigmatize talking about grief, death and cancer,” she wrote. “My father shared his life in public, I share it in death. To all of you out there missing a loved one tonight – you are not alone. I’m along side you, sending strength.”
The former Fox News contributor has been especially vocal about her loss since the holiday season kicked off with Thanksgiving, her father’s favorite. After revealing how “terribly” she missed him, Meghan discussed on The View the importance of allowing yourself to feel sad when you need to.
“For those of you who aren’t having great holidays, it’s okay to be in your truth,” she began. “I’m not having great holidays. Everyone knows what’s happened in my life, everyone knows what’s happening.”
She continued: “If you’re having a bad holiday season, right here, I’m with you. Okay? Sometimes it’s hard, and it’s really hard with social media that everyone looks like they’re having a perfect holiday. And for those of us who aren’t, it’s okay.”
She has also been open about how she is healing in the aftermath of his death.
On Oct. 29, in response to another message asking why she continued to discuss how much she missed her father, Meghan wrote on Twitter, “There are many of us who are in grief … But it makes me feel less alone and hopefully others less alone to share the grief process that is still so taboo to some.”
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Earlier in November, marking 84 days since her father’s death, Meghan said on Instagram, “I want to tell you about everything and get your opinion on everything – just like we used to do. I don’t know how you go from talking to someone seven times a day to never.”
“It is still so indescribably surreal to go through the motions of life without sharing all of it with you – like some awful parallel universe I fell into,” she added. “The pain of missing you and the grief that comes with it continues to be sharp and primal.”
