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To Lose a Twin

Posted on March 4, 2025 - by Linda Pountney

To Lose a Twin I was taken captive by life and death at the age of twenty-one. My identical twin sister Paula and I faced life together for twenty-one years. We never imagined life without the other. As twins, we had an unspoken pact to care for one another. When she died suddenly in a small plane crash, I questioned who I was in the world without her. Could I even function in life without my twin? Our losses are as unique and personal as our love. All bereavement experiences are different. For me, grieving for my sister came many […]

Where Do I Belong Now? After Both Parents Die

Posted on February 28, 2025 - by Nina Impala

After Both Parents Die Dad died suddenly in my early fifties. At the funeral, I will never forget the feeling of being 6 years old in a 50-something-year-old body. Mom died just a few short years later; I was strong until the end with her as she battled breast cancer. My years in hospice made me acutely aware of how quickly she would be leaving us. At her funeral the same feeling took over; as the pall bearers walked past me with my mother, I became a child inside. A lady once said to me many, many years ago, I […]

Ending Your Life Is Not the Answer

Posted on February 28, 2025 - by Stan Popovich

Ending Your Life Is Not the Answer You are at the end of your rope, and you can’t take it any much longer. You are in pain and you are suffering and you feel there is no hope. The first thing that you need to do is to seek the services of a professional counselor. As a published author of a managing fear book and as a layman, here are five reasons why suicide is not an option to your problems. Things Change Over Time Regardless of your situation, things do not stay the same. You may feel very bad […]

Lucky Hat: Rituals Keep Parents’ Hope Alive

Posted on February 27, 2025 - by Lisa Buell

Rituals Keep Parents’ Hope Alive The double doors are closed to Three North at Stanford Children’s Hospital, where my daughter Madison is supposed to get her chemotherapy. It’s our second session, Maddy is seven months old sitting patiently in her stroller as I come up to the thick double doors. This is a very bad sign, these door being closed. Maybe Maddy shouldn’t get chemo today. These doors haven’t been closed before, something’s wrong. The hair stands up on my arms, a tingling sensation crawls up my back, sits on my head like a hat. My partner Nancy is down […]

Bereaved Aunt Asks, ‘Where Do I Fit In?’

Posted on February 27, 2025 - by Marty Tousley

Question from a Reader: Two months ago, my 21-year-old nephew, my sister’s only child, was killed in a car accident. I was 19 when he was born. I have feelings of love for him almost as if he were my own son. But I can’t find others like me. I have searched a few online forums, and it seems there isn’t a specific place for me to go. Where do I fit in? Also, I feel so guilty — something similar to “survivor’s guilt.” I wonder how my sister can stand to look at me, at my 20-year-old daughter, at […]

Dying in Prison: The Need for Hospice

Posted on February 26, 2025 - by Symon Braun Freck

Dying in Prison Today there are 1.9 million people incarcerated in the United States, with 1 out of 6 prisoners serving a life sentence (Sawyer and Wagner). While the sheer number of prisoners is concerning, so are the unethical practices, lack of resources, and dearth of rehabilitation opportunities endemic to the prison system. Substantial research supports the positive impact of rehabilitation programs for those with addiction and mental illness on the mitigation of mass incarceration. Nonetheless, most programs neglect one inevitable reality. What happens to those who are terminally ill and dying in prison? There is very little research on […]

Widow Wonders Whether New Partner is Stuck in Grief

Posted on February 26, 2025 - by Marty Tousley

Is My New Partner Stuck in Grief? Question from reader: I am currently dating a widower who feels the need to publish a picture of his ex-wife in the local newspaper twice a year, on her birthday and date of death. He has been doing this for five years. We have been dating for four-and-a half-years. My husband died suddenly of a heart attack just a month after my companion’s wife died following a two-year battle with colon cancer. At this point, I’m not sure how I am tolerating these very public displays of grief. Would you be willing to […]

Connecting with Departed Loved Ones

Posted on February 25, 2025 - by Gloria Horsley

In a compelling discussion on the Open to Hope podcast, hosts Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley welcomed Julie Ryan, a psychic medium and medical intuitive, to explore the fascinating world of spirit communication and the transition between life and death. Ryan, who combines her background as a surgical device inventor with her spiritual abilities, shared insights into how people can connect with departed loved ones and understand the process of transitioning to the afterlife. From Business to Spiritual Practice Ryan’s journey into the spiritual realm began thirty years ago when she discovered Carolyn Mace’s book “Anatomy of the […]

Create a New Vision after Loss

Posted on February 24, 2025 - by Nalda Seidman

Create a New Vision after Loss It’s early in the new year, and social media is flooded with posts about resolutions and plans for self-improvement. However, for those who have faced a significant loss, the new year often brings a heavy reminder of loved ones who are no longer with us. It can feel as though the future holds little promise for those who are grieving. It’s important to create a new vision after loss. After losing my son, Josh, when he was 20 years old, I struggled to find joy in a new year, or really about anything in […]

Journey Through Fentanyl Loss

Posted on February 18, 2025 - by Gloria Horsley

Journey Through Fentanyl Loss The devastating impact of fentanyl poisoning has touched countless families across America, leaving behind grieving parents searching for understanding and hope. Mark Banarczyk’s story of losing his 17-year-old son Thomas to fentanyl poisoning offers a powerful perspective on grief, forgiveness, and finding purpose after tragedy. Thomas Banarczyk was an Eagle Scout and Christian who died after taking what he believed was Xanax purchased through Snapchat. The pill contained a lethal dose of fentanyl instead. His death in May 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights a critical distinction in how these deaths should be viewed – not […]