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Do you want to read stories of others who have been where you are? Are you looking for bereavement help, and advice? Look no further. We offer over 7,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.

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Rethinking Sympathy in Times of Loss

Posted on September 9, 2026 - by Hope Reger

Judgment in Grief: A Societal Reflection As a society, we must ask ourselves: have we reached a point where the level of sympathy offered to grieving families depends on the choices made by their loved ones? It is troubling to consider that families may receive varying degrees of compassion based on how their loved one passed away—whether from cancer, overdose, accident, suicide, heart attack, or murder. This raises the question: are we so critical of others that we allow our judgments to influence who is deserving of more or less sympathy? Debating Irrelevant Issues While debates about whether addiction is […]

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25 Years After September 11th: What I Learned About Grief, Families, and Hope

Posted on September 7, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

Twenty-five years after September 11th, I continue to think about the families I came to know through my work with the FDNY–Columbia University Family Guidance Program. I worked closely with families who lost a firefighter in the World Trade Center attacks. I remain in touch with some of these families today, which has allowed me to witness how grief, resilience, and hope continue to evolve over time. Some of the children I once knew have grown into adults and even followed in their parents’ footsteps by becoming firefighters themselves. One of the most important things I learned is that grief […]

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Grief and Sleep: Why Loss Steals Your Rest and How to Get It Back

Posted on September 5, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

Grief and sleep problems go hand in hand — loss disrupts rest for the vast majority of grieving people. Here’s why grief wrecks your sleep, when to be concerned, and gentle, practical ways to rest again.

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Maggie’s Love: A Feathered Friend and a Lost Goodbye

Posted on September 4, 2026 - by Veronica Crawford

For several weeks I watched from the kitchen window as a magpie, who I came to call Maggie, rested in our backyard. From a distance I could see that he had an injured leg, but whenever I attempted to get closer he would fly away. One evening I arrived home from work to find Maggie squawking in the tree next to our garage. I was surprised to see him here, as in the past he had never come so close to the house. The winter weather had been relentless for days with constant wind and rain. Maggie was soaked to […]

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Our Breath Buoy: Grief & Breathwork

Posted on September 2, 2026 - by Katty Douraghy

No matter how long we’ve been on our grief journey, we know grief doesn’t move in a straight line. There is no set timeline, and it certainly doesn’t follow a clearly defined path. It arrives in waves, sometimes slowly and quietly, and other times fiercely and loudly. When a wave of emotion hits, our sympathetic nervous system goes into fight-or-flight mode in response to the stress grief brings on. It feels as if we are drowning in a sea of sorrow as our heart rate climbs, we tense up, and our breath turns shallow and fast. Although this is a normal stress response, it […]

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New York City: 25 Years of Healing and Hope

Posted on September 1, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

Over the past 25 years, I have watched New York City carry unimaginable loss while continuing to grow, rebuild, and find hope. What stays with me most is how people came together. Families, first responders, neighbors, volunteers, and strangers supported one another in extraordinary ways. In the midst of grief, there was also an incredible sense of connection and community. As the years passed, I watched the city change. Lower Manhattan came back to life. New buildings rose, families grew, and children like mine came of age in a city forever shaped by 9/11. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum became […]

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Returning to Work After a Death: A Guide to Grieving on the Job

Posted on September 1, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

Returning to work after a death is one of grief’s hardest transitions, especially when bereavement leave runs out fast. Here’s how to navigate grieving on the job, what to ask for, and how to be gentle with yourself.

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Pet Loss: Why Grieving an Animal Hurts as Much as It Does

Posted on August 30, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

Pet loss grief is real, valid, and sometimes as intense as losing a person. Here’s the science behind why losing an animal companion hurts so deeply, and how to grieve a beloved pet without shame.

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What to Say to Someone Who Is Grieving (and What to Avoid)

Posted on August 28, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

Not sure what to say to someone who is grieving? You don’t need perfect words. Here’s what genuinely comforts a grieving person, the common phrases to avoid, and why simply showing up matters most.

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Men and Grief: Why Loss Often Looks Different for Men

Posted on August 26, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

Men and grief can look very different from what we expect — often quieter, more action-oriented, and more likely to go unsupported. Here’s why men grieve the way they do, why it’s not ‘wrong,’ and how to help grieving men.

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