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The Broken Places: Strength after Loss

Posted on May 16, 2025 - by David Roberts

The Broken Places I was watching a promotional ad on television recently for the show “Intervention” and saw a quote from Ernest Hemingway, which read: “The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” Actually, this quote is a passage from Hemingway’s novel: “A Farewell to Arms.” Hemingway was one of the great American writers of his time, who died in 1961 as a result of suicide. As an aside, Neil Peart of Rush wrote the lyrics to a hauntingly beautiful song called “Losing It” which in part alluded to the rise and fall of Ernest […]

Missing Mom on Mother’s Day

Posted on May 15, 2025 - by Mary Jane Cronin

Missing Mom on Mother’s Day My friend and I were recently having breakfast and talk turned to the upcoming Mother’s Day. Both of us have lost our mothers recently and a look of sadness and “I miss her” tears began to fill our eyes. As my thoughts drifted back to my years as a child, when I scurried to make Mom breakfast in bed and bring her flowers from the yard, I softly smiled. She pretended to be surprised and always ate my creations, whether they were tasty or not. Growing into a young woman, the gifts became more memorable […]

‘I Want My Dad to Walk Me Down the Aisle’

Posted on May 14, 2025 - by Michelle Gallucci

When Your Father Dies Have you ever wondered why the good die young? I think about that all the time. It was a perfect Saturday. The couple went to the Bronx, walked around laughing and reminiscing. They went home watched a movie with their kids, but he couldn’t fall asleep. His chest was hurting, he didn’t feel well. Suddenly, he wasn’t breathing. That great man was my dad. How could a perfectly healthy man just suddenly not be there when you get home from school? The thought of what happened that night is always in my head. I wonder if […]

After Loss: Fear Can Be An Asset to Grieving Individuals

Posted on May 13, 2025 - by David Roberts

“No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear”– C.S. Lewis This first line in C.S. Lewis’s book A Grief Observed , inspired me to reflect on how I experienced fear during the early days of grief following my daughter Jeannine’s death. Jeannine was eighteen when she died on March 1,2003 from cancer. My fear manifested in uncertainty about my ability to live again in a world without my daughter. I feared that my other children would also die. These fears were triggered because my once predictable ,orderly and safe world was a distant memory. To […]

Using Linking Objects on Mother’s Day

Posted on May 11, 2025 - by Harriet Hodgson

“I’ve come to see the flag,” she declared. The flag waved outside a rehabilitation floor window. The woman parked her walker, sat down, and peered at the flag. “Look at that!” she exclaimed. “The flag is straight out.” Her husband served in the navy, she shared, and the flag reminded her of him. She came to see the flag many times, an object that linked her with her beloved husband, the man she loved and missed and admired so much. Objects that Link You Mother’s Day is coming, and if your mother has died, you may want to find items […]

Embracing Mother’s Day without Mom

Posted on May 11, 2025 - by Dr. Carol Leibovich Mankes

Embracing Mother’s Day without Mom Losing my mother is one of the hardest things I have gone through. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. That day, I lost the person who was my support, friend, mentor, and confidant. She was my mom, a strong, brave, and ambitious woman. I know that my strength and resilience are largely because of her. Her being such an amazing role model gave me the tools to overcome many challenges in my own life. For obvious reasons, since her loss, Mother’s Day has not been the same. The grief and challenges that […]

Echoes of Earlier Losses

Posted on May 8, 2025 - by Judy Lipson

Echoes of Earlier Losses Unfortunately, many of us have experienced compound grief from multiple losses – either more than one sibling, a child/sibling, sibling/parent, sibling/grandchild, or partner/child. The death of my father three decades after losing my beloved sisters Margie and Jane, triggered feelings I kept dormant. When Margie and Jane died, I didn’t know what grief was. Siblings are the forgotten mourners and take on the role of caretakers. I fast tracked life, ignoring my own grief. I don’t recall Margie and Jane’s funerals. With my father, the experience was totally different. I was present for his last breath, […]

How to Build Support After a Major Loss

Posted on May 8, 2025 - by Gloria Horsley

How to Build Support After a Major Loss In this reflective account, the conversation centers on personal loss, the steady process of healing, and the search for meaning after overwhelming tragedies. The discussion highlights the journey of a survivor who has experienced multiple heartbreaking losses in a brief period. Through honest storytelling and creative expression, the guest shares how she has managed deep sorrow while still remaining open to hope. A Journey Marked by Sudden Loss The narrative begins with raw recollections of loss that reshaped a life. The guest, a school teacher and writer, recounts the devastating impact of […]

Dad Dying of Dementia

Posted on May 5, 2025 - by Rachael Martinez

Dad Dying of Dementia When I was a little girl, I idolized my dad. The ease in which he moved through life, his gentle nature and compassionate soul made being with him feel like being tightly embraced, pulled into a warm hug that could cure the worst kind of day. I remember being in awe of him and his light, his steady hand, the way he made anyone he spoke to feel important. From the joyful and lighthearted years of childhood to the trying, sticky years of adolescence, my dad was a place of solace for me, carrying my burdens […]

Caring for Surviving Siblings

Posted on May 2, 2025 - by Judy Lipson

Caring for Surviving Siblings A decade ago, I was fortunate to meet Heidi Horsley, a fellow surviving sibling and philanthropist. We bonded immediately. After years of being alone in my grief, I was grateful to connect with individuals who understand, are compassionate, speak the same language, and are members of the same club. Thanks to Heidi, who is executive director of Open to Hope, this year marks a decade of me contributing articles for this website. Writing became a vital tool in my grief journey. The process began with journaling, progressed to articles, and ultimately a memoir. I never dreamed […]