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:

When a Friend Dies

By Harriett Hodgson — My father-in-law made many close friends during his 98 years of life. So many of those friends died that my father-in-law became known as the “last man standing.” At first, Dad would get really upset when a close friend died. After losing dozens of friends his response changed. “He (or she) was a wonderful person,” he would say, and then he would change the subject. Life taught Dad how to cope with death. Karen Callinan writes about coping with a friend’s death in “Facing the Death of Friends,” published on the American Catholic website. Coping with death […]

Heal Through Contact With ‘Inner Voice’

I have talked with many people about grief. Several years ago, I interviewed a young widow about the anticipatory grief she felt during her husband’s terminal illness. Her story was compelling. As death drew closer, the couple drew closer. “We went to a special place,” she said. “I can’t explain it.” Thanks to life experience, grief research, and my writing career, I understood her description. But I did not understand it fully until four of my loved ones died within nine months. The pain of these losses was searing. Listening to my inner voice, or soul, helped me to cope. […]

To Recover From Multiple Losses, Create New Meaning in Life

Multiple losses have been the biggest challenge of my life. In February of 2007 my daughter died from the injuries she received in a car crash. Two days later my father-in-law died of pneumonia. Then, just eight weeks later, my brother died of a heart attack. Six months after his death, my former son-in-law died from the injuries he received in another car crash. His death made my twin grandchildren orphans and my husband and I GRGs, grandparents raising grandchildren. Somehow, I had to summon the courage to grieve and raise my grandchildren. There was no time for denial, a […]

Reconciling Grief: Take All the Time You Need

Mourners want grief to end. Some try to rush their mourning, only to find it cannot be rushed. According to The Talmud, “Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time finds time is on his side.” The process of reconciliation – -making the deceased part of yourself and your life — is a slow one. It’s even slower it you have suffered multiple losses. Colin Murray Parkes writes about time in “All in the End is Harvest.” He says, “Death may happen in a moment, but grief takes time; and that time is both an ordeal […]

Does Grief End? Belly Laughs and Crème Brule

“Mom, we didn’t move into the pub,” my daughter laughed, “we went there to cool off and eat.” No wonder my memory was hazy. My husband and I were still recovering from the loss of our elder daughter, my father-in-law, my brother, and our former son-in-law. Four deaths in nine months were overwhelming. The pub topic came up during a family dinner at a French restaurant. We were reminiscing about a trip we and our younger daughter had taken to London and the Isle of Man. I told the story about calling the hotel desk clerk to report the lack […]

Inner Voice

I have talked with many people about grief. Several years ago I interviewed a young widow about the anticipatory grief she felt during her husband’s terminal illness. Her story was compelling. As death drew closer the couple drew closer. “We went to a special place,” she said. “I can’t explain it.” Thanks to life experience, grief research, and my writing career, I understood her description. But I did not understand it fully until four of my loved ones died within nine months. The pain of these losses was searing. Listening to my inner voice, or soul, helped me to cope. […]

Music for Grieving

By Harriet Hodgson — 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 […]

When Does Healing Begin? Watching For the Signs

By Harriet Hodgson — When you are in the throes of grief, you think you will never be happy again. Your world is a narrow, dark tunnel. You do not see any light, yet glimmers exist, and they are signs of healing. Watch for these signs, for they give you the courage to move forward with life. Healing begins when you feel a real smile. I did not smile after four loved ones died in the span of nine months. In fact, I forgot what a smile felt like. Then one day, I smiled a tentative smile, and it felt […]

A Wife Marvels at a Father’s Grief for His Daughter

By Harriet Hodgson — The death of a child is a lifetime loss and parents never recover from it. Instead, they learn to live with it. A popular belief is that men don’t cry; they hold their feelings inside. But my husband is not like that. Our daughter’s sudden death at age 45 from the injuries she received in a car crash affected him the same way it affected me. The shock stunned us. I have seen him cry. We cried together and took turns with our crying days. When I was overcome with sorrow, he comforted me.? When he […]

Focusing on Sacredness of Life May Help Those Grieving

By Harriet Hodgson — Religion means different things to different people. When someone dies, it is common to turn to religion and spirituality for support. In 2007, four of my loved ones died in the span of nine months. I turned to my church and my inner self. Week after week, I sat quietly on the couch and thought about my loved ones and my life. If you are grieving now, I urge you to do the same thing. Quiet is essential to recovery. You will not make any progress until you organize your thoughts, center (focus) them, and heed […]

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