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What Gives Hope: Interview with Nancy Gershman, Memory Artist

Posted on May 18, 2014 - by Gloria Horsley

For Open To Hope Foundation’s “What Gives Hope?” video, artist Nancy Gershman tells founder Gloria Horsley that her prescriptive photomontages give three reasons to hope.  From what she’s learned from her end of life clients and their bereaved families, these portraits are: Tangible objects that are wearable, mail-able, and displayable., but you can also talk to them; A natural way to “campaign” for the deceased and everything they stand for; Talismans that encourage grieving people to re-integrate themselves into the land of the living, every time they share one. Nancy Gershman is a memory artist – part oral historian, part digital […]

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Talking to Children about Suicide

Posted on May 17, 2014 - by Linda Goldman

Children and Suicide in Today’s World The topic of suicide and children is one that has been approached with great difficulty. All too often parents, educators, therapists, and other caring professionals are unwilling or unable to speak of the issues surrounding suicide with today’s youth. Yet in our nation and in our world the young people globally are inundated and overwhelmed directly and vicariously with issues of suicide. The media acting as a surrogate parent, extended family, and ongoing source of amusement and stimulation creates graphic accounts for all kids to witness and potential glorify and imitate. Suicide/murder rampages in […]

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The Faces of Disenfranchised Grief: An Interview with Peggy Sapphire

Posted on May 17, 2014 - by Gloria Horsley

The following are introductory remarks by Peggy Sapphire, author of two poetry collections (A Possible Explanation, Partisan Press, In the End a Circle, Antrim House ’09). I got into the field of death and dying to explore of my own “disenfranchised grief. In my case, my ex-spouse, diagnosed over the last seven years, with two terminal illnesses, has caused an extended and more enlightened consideration of the impact of his death on the significant period of our marriage on my personal history. The writing process was both healing and revelatory. Healing can include creativity, rituals or any other ideas you […]

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Removing the Kimono of Mourning: Interview with Anne Carson

Posted on May 17, 2014 - by Gloria Horsley

One of the most important things in anyone’s bereavement process is to find what works personally/individually. There is an opportunity for much creativity in this process. The video features me (Anne Carson) reading the title poem in my collection, Removing the Kimono, and describing how the death of my husband prompted me to write a series of poems about our relationship, his sickness and death and my bereavement. I talk about how our Western cultures aren’t very good at supporting bereaved people and how we can learn from other cultures about this. While my husband was sick and then in […]

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Ministry of Bereavement: Interview with Ronald Ritter

Posted on May 17, 2014 - by Gloria Horsley

Today, we had the privilege to interview Ron Ritter about a very basic tool that will assist people of faith to minister intelligently and effectively to those who grieve. The turning point for Ritter was when the shackles of clinical depression were removed five years after his son Steve’s death when he could focus his full energies into the ministry of bereavement. Here is the full interview: Ron Ritter was born the 7 September 1938. Born and Raised in Baltimore, MD. B.S. Business Administration, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. B.Th. Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, IL 1970. Ordained, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, […]

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Childhood Grief: An Interview with Chase Roberts

Posted on May 17, 2014 - by Gloria Horsley

In this video, Jesse Roberts, the author of Katie the Ladybug: Explaining Emotions of Grief to a Child, speaks of his own experiences and encourages those who are helping grieving children to be honest, concrete, and sensitive when discussing the topic of death. Losing both of my parents before the age of 16 inspired me to immerse myself in the field of death and dying in hopes that I may be able to help others who are experiencing grief after the loss of a parent. I did not want these experiences to be wasted, and through helping others have been […]

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Grieving for Dad: Interview with Lara Rogers-Krawchuk

Posted on May 17, 2014 - by Gloria Horsley

By Lara Rogers-Krawchuk In this video, I will share lessons learned from my long time work as an oncology social worker, therapist, adjunct professor, and lover of the contemporary concept of meaning making along a grief journey.  I will also offer personal insights from being the daughter of a dad who died much too young and at the totally “wrong” time. Life as a griever with two young children was very hard, but I found hope every day in their smiling faces and exploration of a world still worth living in.  I believe my father continues to live on as […]

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Creating Sacred Space: Interview with Rev. Ian Smith

Posted on May 17, 2014 - by Gloria Horsley

This was a brief interview done with Dr. Gloria Horsley on April 24, 2014 at the 36th Annual Conference of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) from April 23-26 in Baltimore, MD. The speaker is Rev. Ian Smith. I am an ordained minister of the United Church of Canada and working as a congregational pastor in suburban Montréal, Québec, Canada. I am also the volunteer Spiritual Care Coordinator for the West Island Palliative Care Residence in Kirkland, Québec, since October 2003. I became very interested in the field of death and dying in 1982 when a part of […]

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Aging and Identity: We’re Not Dead Yet

Posted on May 16, 2014 - by Stan Goldberg

In Aging and Identity Part I, I maintained the role of identity may be critical in understanding how we react to aging; including the many desperate decisions we make, such as an obsession with appearing youthful, painful tummy tucks, and foolishly engaging in a multitude of activities our bodies are no longer capable of doing. In Aging and Identity Part II, I suggested a few strategies for dealing with our changing identities. In this final article, I’ll offer suggestions for those who are confused how to deal with us “older” folks. We’re Not Dead Yet We may be changing, but […]

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Losing a Fiance: Wedding Turned to Funeral

Posted on May 15, 2014 - by Melinda Richarz Lyons

Recently my twenty-six-year-old niece Kate lost her fiancé in a car accident just two days before their wedding. In addition to her deep grief, Kate also had to face many issues because they were not yet married. First, I believe she was robbed of memories. When I lost my husband, at least I had almost forty years of memories to help sustain me. Kate and her fiancé did not even have the chance to begin as a married couple. Emotionally, I feel her loss is so much tougher than mine was. Not only did she lose the future she had […]

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