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As a father who has experienced the heartbreak of miscarriages, Théoden's grief at the loss of his son and his declaring' no parent should have to bury their child' cuts directly to my core, as a father of a newly adopted daughter, I relate to Théoden's relationship with Éowyn in an entirely different way. I now realize exactly what Théoden means in the books when he calls Éowyn' dearer than daughter.'.