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James Van Der Beek's family is honoring his memory on his first birthday since his death earlier this year.
In a video shared to her mom Kimberly Van Der Beek's Instagram on Sunday (March 8), the late Dawson's Creek star's daughter Emilia, 9, remembered her dad on what would have been his 49th birthday and explained how she is navigating his death to give "little tips" to others experiencing loss, per People. James died February 11 following a cancer battle.
"So today is my dad's birthday, and the number one thing for somebody's passing is to talk to them and let your emotions out," she said. "If you miss them, you can cry. You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day. I start with a sentence, and I say, 'Hi, Dad. I miss you and I love you so much, and I'll never stop loving you.' I just tell him about my day, how I'm feeling, and I told my family how I'm feeling. And I know he can hear me, but I can't hear him."
She continued, "You have to feel them in your heart, because they're in your heart. They're watching over you. They're a part of your body and in a good place. I know that my dad's in a good place. He's not in pain anymore. He's in heaven above the clouds with God and the Lord."
Emilia noted that while one should be happy their late loved one is "in a good place," you can still "be sad because you miss them." She emphasized that grief looks different for everyone so no one should tell say that what you are feeling is wrong or incorrect.
"Everybody has different emotions in their body, and they express it in different ways. Many, many different ways," she said. "And don't let anybody tell you that. Be like, 'No, you don't know how I feel.'"
Emilia also shared a poignant reminder from her father before his death to keep believing in miracles, even when things don't turn out the way you hoped.
"Everything is meant to happen for a reason," she said. "Something my dad told me was if this doesn't work out the way he wanted it to and the way we wanted it to for him living, I still have to believe in miracles. Miracles can still happen, just later on in life, and they'll keep coming."
Another way she is keeping her dad close to her in the wake of his passing is by wearing his his hat and knowing how loved he was.
"My dad's hat smells like him, and I love it so much," she said. "And I praise my dad. I know that he was a good man. A lot of people loved him, and people prayed for him, and he was loved by many, many hearts and many, many people."
The Varsity Blues actor's family confirmed in a statement on Instagram on February 11 that he had "passed peacefully." He was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023 and shared his diagnosis publicly in November 2024.
"He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace," they wrote. "There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend."
In addition to Emilia, James shared five other children with wife Kimberly: daughters Olivia, Annabel and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah. Kimberly recently opened up about the final days she spent with her husband, including the "beautiful" moment they renewed their wedding vows from bed.