Michael Nunley

Michael Nunley's love for music began in his youth. He was singing in churches and sharing the stage with well known performers in shows and television appearances all across the Ohio Valley. Growing up in a military family, Michael traveled extensively. He considers himself blessed to have experienced the beauty and diversity of so much of our world and it's people. Michael was a music scholarship recipient at Walters State College and at The University of Tennessee. As a member of the U.T. Singers, he toured and performed as a soloist with "Tennessee's Musical Ambassadors." He continued his involvement in the performing arts, playing guitar, bass, synthesizer and percussion as well as expanding his vocal abilities. He began to write and record his own music while serving as Interim Worship Leader at his church. It was during this time he produced his first CD of original songs as a music department fund raiser. In 2010, the Governor of Kentucky awarded Michael membership in The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, the state's highest title of honor, for writing and performing the theme song, "Because We Care", for the Kentucky Employee Charitable Contribution campaign. In 2000, tragedy struck twice, causing Michael to have a deeply personal change in his attitude and understanding of loss and grief. His sister, Cyndy, took her own life shortly before his father, Col. Billy F. Nunley (U.S.A.F.) lost his fight with a cancerous brain tumor. Michael is profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have written a song for The Compassionate Friends in 2011, and he found the experience brought him a new level of healing. He hopes to pass along some comfort with his poetry and music. He encourages others to use the creative process of writing, as he has done, to take care of "spiritual housekeeping" and help "Define, Confine, and then Refine " the sorrow into a more constructive energy. Michael says, "Grief is natural. What's UN-natural is dying from it in solitude. Accepting help, learning from it and passing along the healing is far better. That seems to me to be a cycle of life that will expand our compassion without killing the possibility of joy."

Articles:

Open to  hope

Summer Memories of my Father

Summer always comes with the memory of my father, Col. Billy F. Nunley’s funeral.  The funeral service was on July 2nd and that made the fireworks and military tributes of  […]

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Open to  hope

The Best Kept Secret and the Biggest Lie

I’ll bet you want  me to explain the title of this article in one paragraph and let you get back to your search for healing. It’s never quite that easy […]

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Open to  hope

In Case of Grief, Break Glass

Recently, I was reading an article written by Mitch Carmody, ( a fellow author here on the Open to Hope site) introducing his concept of “Proactive Grieving.” Mitch is a […]

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Open to  hope

Death of a Loved One: ‘Getting Over It’ Not an Option

Recently, I was honored to be asked to sing at a balloon release for The Compassionate Friends in Frankfort, Kentucky. We have a lovely little memory garden in a park […]

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Open to  hope

Gaining Wisdom on the Journey of Healing

There is a great deal to learn on the journey of healing. I would have preferred to have skipped the reason for some of the lessons, but as we have […]

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Open to  hope

Giving Love, Accepting Help: Keys to Grieving

I have a sister and a father, but I no longer need to buy them birthday cards. I don’t have their numbers in my address book and I don’t worry […]

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Open to  hope

Re-Gaining Strength – and Letting Yourself Feel Good About it

It happens. One day you look up and realize that you haven’t set too many places at the table for over a month. One day you find yourself smiling at […]

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Open to  hope

Healing Journey: Things Are Looking Up (And So Am I)

Some of you are far enough along the grief journey to believe that there is life with grief.  Please notice I did not say “life AFTER grief.”  There is no […]

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Open to  hope

Man Writes Music to Ease Grief

My name is Michael, and I lost my talented, loveable, indescribable sister to suicide, and my solid, strong, and loyal father to a cancerous brain tumor- in the space of […]

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