This study is based on interviews with five war orphans who experienced the absence of a father or brotherin-aw in the postwar period. I examined how surviving family members made sense of the absence of their fathers and brother-in-laws from a narrative perspective. Based on this examination, I discussed family resilience in the face of loss. For bereaved family members, it is not easy to accept the absence or loss of a significant person. However, in order for the survivors to continue to live with the absence or loss of their father, they need to "maintain the foundation of their lives while they and their survivors take on the role of their father," "share memories and feelings for the deceased within the family," and "see the value of feeling a special connection with the deceased even if they cannot share it with other family members. It was considered important to "find value in feeling that there is a special connection with the deceased, even if there are things that cannot be shared with other family members.