Harriet Hodgson

Harriet Hodgson has been a freelancer for 43 years, is the author of thousands of articles, and 47 books, including 10 grief resources. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists, Alliance of Independent Authors, Minnesota Coalition for Grief Education and Support, and Grief Coalition of Southeastern Minnesota. She is well acquainted with grief. In 2007 four family members died—her daughter (mother of her twin grandchildren), father-in-law, brother (and only sibling) and the twins’ father. Multiple losses shifted the focus of Hodgson’s work from general health to grief resolution and healing. She has appeared on more than 185 radio talk shows, including CBS Radio, and dozens of television stations, including CNN. In addition to writing for Open to Hope, Hodgson is a contributing writer for The Grief Toolbox website and The Caregiver Space website. A popular speaker, she has given presentations at The Compassionate Friends national conference, Bereaved Parents of the USA national conference, and Zoom grief conferences. Her work is cited in Who’s Who of American Women, World Who’s Who of Women, Contemporary Authors, and other directories. For more information about this busy grandmother, great grandmother, author, and speaker please visit I’m no longer Assistant Editor, I’m the author of 47 books, and my website is www.harriethodgson.net.

Articles:

Spiritual Women Help Grieving Friends

Last week I gave a talk at a local church about spiritual women helping each other. The talk came from my own experience of losing four family members in 2007. My handout showed the “bones” of my talk and helped audience members to follow along. What were the points of my talk? Spiritual women offer comfort. When I was lost in the darkness of grief my sister-in-law kept saying, “You will get through this.” I appreciated her reassurance. Other friends said they were praying for me. Three small words, “I’m so sorry,” comforted me as well. Spiritual women stay in […]

Thanksgiving Day Brings Sweet, Sad Memories

Thanksgiving is a hard day for me. My parents were married on this day and my elder daughter, now deceased, was born on Thanksgiving. I can still smell the tantalizing smell of roasting turkey wafting down the hall from the hospital kitchen and the thyme that was added to the stuffing. But there was no dinner for me because I was in labor. When I think of this family holiday, I think of my daughter. We gave her birthday presents at many Thanksgiving dinners and sang “Happy Birthday” to her. Now there are no birthday gifts and no songs. Memories […]

Finding Daughter’s Purse Restarts Grief Four Years Later

The lower level of our house gets lots of use, especially in the winter time. We watch television there and work in our home office. Fourteen years ago, we had new carpet installed and it had become worn and dirty. “Sorry, I can’t get it any cleaner,” the cleaning man said, and I believed him. It was time to install new carpet again. Before the crew arrived, we had to clear out closets and cull legal papers. In 2007, four family members died and we took in items from three estates. My husband was managing these estates and the paperwork […]

Now I See: Grieving and Raising My Grandchildren

“You’re coming home with us,” I said. My husband and I and our twin grandchildren were standing by the hospital’s emergency entrance. Tragedy had found us again. Nine months ago, their mother (our daughter) died from the injuries she received in a car crash. Their fatherhad just died from the injuries he received in another car crash. It was beyond belief. While each year has its triumphs and tragedies, 2007 was a really hard year. My daughter and father-in-law died the same weekend, my brother died a few months later, and now my former son-in-law was gone. Like the words […]

The Challenges of Relocation Grief

Relocation grief. I feel it already, though I won’t move for at least four years. When I look out the kitchen window at the apple trees, birds flying back and forth, and visiting wildlife, including deer, turkeys, and pheasant, I feel a sense of loss. My husband and I have already reserved a unit at a Mayo Clinic assisted living community in the heart of downtown Rochester, Minnesota. Knowing that we will live there years from now is a source of comfort. But it’s also a source of relocation grief. Moving is one of the most stressful experiences of life. […]

Mass Murder in Norway Triggers Anticipatory Grief

The recent murders of innocent children and adults in Oslo, Norway, are a national tragedy. Like September 11th, this tragedy causes anticipatory grief. Usually we associate anticipatory grief with the failing health of a family member, friend, or pet. But anticipatory grief can affect an entire population. Anticipatory grief is a feeling of loss before a death or dreaded event occurs. With mass murder and terrorism, the survivors worry about both – more attacks and more deaths. Some survivors may think their anxiety stems from excessive news coverage when they are actually experiencing the symptoms of anticipatory grief. Some grief […]

Grieving for Deceased Loved One and Broken Relationship

Grief comes in many forms, including the feelings associated with death, anticipatory grief, and self–grief. During the grieving process, we may also mourn for broken family relationships. My brother was five years older than I. According to my mother, he was so excited to have a baby sister he asked to stay home from kindergarten when I came home from the hospital. Due to the age difference between us, we didn’t play together that much. Though we shared the same sense of humor, our personalities were very different. I was the quieter, creative person, whereas he was the boisterous, loud […]

Not Everyone Benefits from Graveside Visits

Many years ago, when I was in first grade, my parents and I visited an inner city grave. It was my brother’s grave, a brother I never knew because he was a premature twin and died two days after he was born. The other twin survived and I grew up with a brother. While we were walking in the cemetery, I saw two people, obviously mother and daughter, approach a new site. The mother looked at the grave stone and burst into tears. Her crying became wailing and her wailing became keening. Young as I was, I recognized the […]

Recipes Link Her to Mother-in-Law, Memories

After my mother-in-law died, I received her copy of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer. No other family members wanted the book, which surprised me, so it became mine. Over the years, she used the book as a file, and tucked clippings and recipe booklets in its pages. She also added notes to recipes. On the first page, a blank, there’s a handwritten recipe for brownies. According to my mother-in-law, the recipe came from a friend in Lima, Peru. During World War II, my father-in-law was a staff physician at the British American Hospital there. The […]

The Comfort of a Red Cardinal in Wintertime

Losing four family members within nine months has been, and continues to be, the most challenging experience of my life. My daughter and father-in-law died the same weekend. Several months later, my brother died and several months after that, my former son-in-law died. The grief of multiple losses was so painful I could barely move or think. Of all the deaths, my daughter’s death was the most painful. Family members and friends rallied to help us, but my husband and I knew recovery was up to us. We also knew we had to confront the pain of loss. For weeks, […]

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