Feature: The Seven-Year Silence: How Ocarina Of Time Held My Grief At Seven Years Old
A writer reflects on how *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time* became a place to process grief after their father died by suicide when they were seven. The game offered a sense of safety and a way to engage with a loss that was too difficult to understand fully at that age.
The writer describes finding comfort in the game’s quiet opening and in naming the protagonist after themself. Kokiri Forest’s sheltered children, its protective Great Deku Tree and Link’s feeling of being an outsider echoed their own experience. The article presents the game’s story and atmosphere as a personal companion through childhood grief.
- Ocarina of Time became a safe space after the writer’s father died.
- Its opening and story helped a child make sense of grief.
- The writer connected personally with Link’s isolation and search for belonging.