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:

Symbol of Hope Among the Ruins: The Painted Heart

Clearing out our deceased daughter’s house took more than a year. My husband and I could only work for a half-hour before we were overcome with grief. Our daughter died from the injuries she received in a car crash. Nine months later, her former husband was killed in another car crash, and we were raising her twins. Packing up an entire house is a monumental task. After talking with our grandchildren, the family decided to give the contents of the house to Rushford, Minn., flood relief. We packed the kitchen first, then moved on to the family room, living room, […]

Holiday Treats Stir Up Memories of Loved Ones

Nana made candied orange peel every year. Dishes of this sweet treat appeared at the Thanksgiving table and Christmas dinner. In fact, the holidays would not be the same without this candy. After Nana died, my elder daughter continued the tradition, until she died two years ago. She was the mother of our only grandchildren — fraternal twins — and life is different without her. Christmas was my daughter’s favorite time of year. My granddaughter loves it too, and puts up the tree the day after Thanksgiving. “Grandma, can we make candied orange peel?” she asked. “Of course,” I replied. […]

Check Blood Pressure Regularly as You Grieve

I try to take care of myself, and most of the time I do a good job of it. Getting an annual physical exam is part of my self-care plan. My exam started yesterday and the test results were excellent: very low cholesterol and a normal heart rate of 72 beats per minute. Though I had gained 10 pounds, my weight was still in the normal range. But my blood pressure was dangerously high. A nurse took a reading just before I saw my doctor. “Your blood pressure is 200,” she said, “and that’s not good.” My doctor took another […]

Guilt During Grief is Normal but Unproductive

I had guilt feelings after four loved ones died within nine months. My elder daughter was the first family member to die and, though she and her twins came for dinner every Sunday, I wished I had spent more time with her. Two days after she died, my father-in-law died. He had dementia, and caring for him became increasingly difficult. I had conflicting feelings. While I wished I had done more for him, I was pleased with the things I had done. Four months after his passing, my brother died. His death was a double blow because we had been […]

Checking Your Support System

Grief creates an immediate need for support. My husband and I relied on a family support system – our elder daughter, brother and sister-in-law, and father-in-law – for many years. All of these family members lived in town and were only minutes away. Then our lives changed. In February of 2007, our daughter died from the injuries she received in a car crash. Two days later, my father-in-law died. Last summer, the remaining relatives moved to Wisconsin. Others are going to move there as well. Support was disappearing right before our eyes, and we felt very alone. Apparently other people […]

‘Grief Buddies’ Can Help You Cope

Whether it was anticipated or sudden, the death of a loved one is a traumatic experience. Two and a half years ago, my daughter died from the injuries she received in a car crash. Death was even more shocking when my father-in-law died two days later. In fact, we were so overcome with shock we started a buddy system. We were driving buddies. Driving can be dangerous when you’re grieving. When we needed to go to the store, church, or social event, my husband and I always drove together. One of us was the driver and the other was the […]

As You’re Grieving: Seven Questions to Ask Yourself

Losing four loved ones within a nine-month span made my mind go in all directions. I thought about my childhood, things I wished I could have changed, and a future without my loved ones. Most of all, I worried about my twin grandchildren, who lost both parents in separate car crashes. I also worried about myself and my new role of GRG – grandparent raising grandchildren. Grief worries can take over your life. I didn’t want that to happen to me, so I made a list of questions that pull me back to the moment. My list may help you. […]

The Antique Iron Bed, a Source of Comfort

When my husband and I were first married, we didn’t own any furniture. We lived in furnished apartments for a few years and purchased a home when my husband was a resident at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Residents don’t make much money and our house was furnished with hand-me-downs. My mother and father-in-law gave us an antique, wrought-iron bed to help out. The bed was white and had small, fleur-de-lis decorations. These were nice, but the most unusual part of the bed was the mattress, which had a picture of a bed bug in the middle and the words […]

Time Moves Differently When Dealing With Grief

Four months ago my daughter was killed in a car crash. Her sudden death on a snowy night stunned her 15-year-old twins and sent shock waves through the entire family. Many of us are still in shock. I know I am. One moment, I know my daughter is gone. The next moment, I can’t believe it. Nobody can grieve for me and I am working hard on recovery. But my grief flares when well-meaning friends say, “Last year was a hard one for you.” Last year? It has only been four months since my daughter died. When friends say this […]

Song Commissioned in Memory of Daughter

After my daughter died in February of 2007, my husband and I looked for ways to remember her. We did the usual things — had a memorial service, told stories, and gave money to the church. But we wanted to do more. How could we keep our daughter’s spirit alive? The choir was designated as the recipient of our church donation. I had been a choir member for more than 20 years and thought the money would be used for sheet music. The co-director of music had a better idea — a commissioned song in her memory. I loved this […]

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