Hurting and in pain and looking for hope? In times of bereavement watch, read and listen to stories of hope and recovery.
Sibling loss is one of the most overlooked griefs there is — bereaved siblings are often called the “forgotten mourners.” Here’s why losing a brother or sister cuts so deep, and why your grief deserves to be seen.
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The five stages of grief are the most famous and most misunderstood model of loss. Here’s where denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance actually came from, and why grief was never meant to be a tidy five-step line.
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When friends disappear after a loss, the second wound can hurt almost as much as the first. Why does it happen, and what can you do? Here are 7 compassionate insights for bereaved people whose friend circles changed after the death.
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Miscarriage and pregnancy loss grief is real, profound, and too often suffered in silence. Here’s how common pregnancy loss is, why your grief is valid, and how to find support after losing a baby you longed for.
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When my mother had a recent medical crisis, on my way home from the hospital nearly in tears, I called a first cousin. I was overwhelmed by a grief that felt new and heavy. I reached for someone who loves me and my mom, someone who has been in our family for longer than I have. She was kind enough to answer and stay on the line. She listened, was empathic, and said the right things. After we spoke, I felt I still needed more. So, I called my aunt. Similarly, I felt heard, empathized with, and truly supported. While the conversation left me feeling better than the one with her daughter, somewhere in the middle of that conversation, I […]
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Sudden death of a spouse is one of the most disorienting experiences a human can survive. There is no preparation, no goodbye, no chance to say what mattered. Here are 9 compassionate, therapist-tested ways to cope with the sudden death of a spouse and start finding your footing again.
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Five days after my husband’s death of cancer at the age of fifty-five, I stood in our master bathroom. To my right was our closet, stuffed with my clothes and Jason’s—ties he’d barely worn in years since his company got more casual, wrinkle-free button-downs and khakis, t-shirts from concerts he’d attended, and F-1 racing fan gear. I walked past the vanity, spotting his razor and toothbrush. His towel was still hanging over the shower’s glass door. When I stepped into our room, I saw Jason’s shoes organized perfectly in the soft, compartmented contraption hanging off the bathroom door. Far less […]
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Continuing bonds is the healthy, research-supported idea that we don’t have to “let go” of those we love to heal. Here’s what continuing bonds means, why sensing a loved one’s presence is normal, and how to stay connected.
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Judgment in Grief: A Societal Reflection As a society, we must ask ourselves: have we reached a point where the level of sympathy offered to grieving families depends on the choices made by their loved ones? It is troubling to consider that families may receive varying degrees of compassion based on how their loved one passed away—whether from cancer, overdose, accident, suicide, heart attack, or murder. This raises the question: are we so critical of others that we allow our judgments to influence who is deserving of more or less sympathy? Debating Irrelevant Issues While debates about whether addiction is […]
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Twenty-five years after September 11th, I continue to think about the families I came to know through my work with the FDNY–Columbia University Family Guidance Program. I worked closely with families who lost a firefighter in the World Trade Center attacks. I remain in touch with some of these families today, which has allowed me to witness how grief, resilience, and hope continue to evolve over time. Some of the children I once knew have grown into adults and even followed in their parents’ footsteps by becoming firefighters themselves. One of the most important things I learned is that grief […]
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Grief and sleep problems go hand in hand — loss disrupts rest for the vast majority of grieving people. Here’s why grief wrecks your sleep, when to be concerned, and gentle, practical ways to rest again.
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Returning to work after a death is one of grief’s hardest transitions, especially when bereavement leave runs out fast. Here’s how to navigate grieving on the job, what to ask for, and how to be gentle with yourself.
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Pet loss grief is real, valid, and sometimes as intense as losing a person. Here’s the science behind why losing an animal companion hurts so deeply, and how to grieve a beloved pet without shame.
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Not sure what to say to someone who is grieving? You don’t need perfect words. Here’s what genuinely comforts a grieving person, the common phrases to avoid, and why simply showing up matters most.
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Men and grief can look very different from what we expect — often quieter, more action-oriented, and more likely to go unsupported. Here’s why men grieve the way they do, why it’s not ‘wrong,’ and how to help grieving men.
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Sudden death and anticipated loss lead to very different grief journeys. Here’s how a sudden, traumatic death differs from a long, expected one, why each is hard in its own way, and what helps in both.
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Grief and anxiety often arrive together — loss can trigger panic, dread, and constant worry. Here’s why anxiety is such a common part of grief, when it needs extra attention, and how to calm a grieving, anxious mind.
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Grief and faith have a complicated relationship. When you lose someone you love, your beliefs can deepen, shift, shatter, or all three. Here are 7 compassionate ways to navigate grief and faith after loss, whatever your tradition (or lack of one) looks like.
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Grief after suicide loss carries a unique weight of shock, guilt, and unanswered questions. Here’s why suicide bereavement is different, what genuinely helps survivors, and where to find support and hope.
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Losing a parent as an adult is one of the most common yet most minimized griefs there is. Here’s why it hits so hard, why the world often underestimates it, and how to grieve a mother or father without apology.
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We grieving people know a lot about collateral damage when someone we love dies. It’s not just the loss of the person in our lives, although that would be enough. There are other losses, too. Death doesn’t happen in a vacuum. While the death of our person may be the headline, there are other related stories and losses. Death doesn’t come alone and doesn’t leave empty-handed. Our grieving lives are like having a home that has clearly been robbed, but we don’t know what all is missing. It can take a long time to discover all the valuables that have […]
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How long does grief last? There is no fixed deadline, but research reveals clear patterns in how most people move through loss. Here’s what the science shows about grief timelines and why “getting over it” is the wrong goal.
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Miscarriage and pregnancy loss carry a particular kind of grief: real, profound, and often hidden from the wider world. Here are 7 compassionate, therapist-tested ways to grieve a miscarriage and honor the love you carried for a baby who never came home.
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Broken heart syndrome is a real, temporary heart condition that intense grief or shock can trigger, mimicking a heart attack. Here’s what the science says, who is most at risk, and when to seek emergency care.
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Dear Family, There were so many things we didn’t get to do, and our time together was cut short. Physical and mental ailments prevented us from living out all the plans we made, but we still made the most of our time together. Y’all beat the odds and lived longer than anyone expected for people in your condition. God didn’t answer my prayers to take away the sicknesses, but He granted me favor through temporary healings and the blessing of extended time. You slowly slipped away. Year by year, month by month, and day by day, until I was somehow […]
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Grief and guilt are deeply intertwined — “what if” and “if only” haunt many grieving people. Here’s why guilt is such a common part of loss, the different forms it takes, and how to release blame you were never meant to carry.
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Crying and grief are deeply connected, but the relationship is complicated. Some bereaved people cry constantly; others can’t seem to cry at all. Here’s what the science actually says about crying in grief, and 6 ways to honor your own pattern — whatever it looks like.
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Delayed grief is when mourning arrives long after a loss — months or even years later, sometimes triggered by something small. Here’s why grief gets postponed, what commonly unlocks it, and why a late-arriving grief is still normal.
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Grieving teenagers often mourn in ways adults misread — through anger, withdrawal, or seeming indifference. Here’s how teens grieve, what they need, and how parents and caregivers can support a grieving adolescent.
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It is a well-documented phenomenon: a person loses a limb, yet they can still feel it. The brain continues to fire signals to a hand or a leg that is no longer there. They reach for objects with fingers that do not exist or try to stand on a foot that has been gone for years. The nerves are firing based on a map of the body that has not been updated. When I lost my wife, Bonnie, six years ago, I discovered that grief creates its own version of a phantom limb. Except, I did not just lose a […]
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Disenfranchised grief is loss that society doesn’t fully acknowledge — a pet, a miscarriage, an ex, an estranged parent. Here’s what disenfranchised grief means, why it’s so isolating, and why your grief is valid even when others don’t see it.
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Caregiver grief is a complex, layered mourning that unfolds both during and after a loved one’s long illness. Here’s why caregivers grieve so uniquely, the guilt and relief that often follow, and how to heal after the caregiving ends.
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Grief and faith are deeply connected — loss can shake your beliefs or deepen them, sometimes both at once. Here’s how grief affects spirituality, why doubt is normal, and how faith can become a source of comfort in mourning.
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Grief in marriage can be devastating when you and your partner grieve differently. After losing a child, parent, or other shared loved one, couples often find themselves out of sync. Here are 8 compassionate ways to navigate grief in marriage and protect the relationship.
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Grief rituals aren’t just tradition — research shows they genuinely help us cope with loss. Here’s why rituals ease grief, ideas for creating your own meaningful memorials, and how small acts of remembrance can bring comfort.
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I may be the last person in the world who didn’t know the meaning of life-maxxing. Earlier this week, I came across it for the very first time in a social media post and realized the word embodied everything I believe in and have learned through my grief journey. Life-maxxing (or maxing) started as slang, and now I see it everywhere. On social media, it’s all about maximizing and optimizing mental and physical health, productivity, career, aspirations, and financial success. And yet this word triggers a much deeper meaning for me. It means living life to the fullest because my loved […]
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Grief and depression can look alike, but they are not the same — and knowing the difference matters. Here’s how to tell grief from clinical depression, why they sometimes overlap, and when it’s time to reach out for help.
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The door is easy to miss— a dim recess, knotted and coarse. He kept the room for a long time— some places are made of wood and plaster— this one is made of whatever people bring inside. People pass it every day already elsewhere. If you ask, he gives you the key. Not ceremoniously— just a small warmth from others who came before. The lock turns easily as though expecting them, and the two friends enter. To the first, the room offers nothing— white walls, corners meet in muted shadows, light without direction. She […]
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Talking to children about death is one of the hardest conversations bereaved families face — and one of the most important. Here is an age-by-age guide to talking to kids about death, what language to use, and how to support grieving children of every age.
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When you meet someone new, it’s the heat that won’t break, the dry cleaner down the street that’s too expensive, how you take your coffee. We sat over dinner. He sent the dish back— too spicy, he said, as if it were the dish that missed the mark. They brought something softer. He thanked them, moved on. So did I. The questions came in their usual spacing— easy enough to keep things level. He asks it and reaches for his glass before I answer. How many children? I feel the ice in my […]
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Post-traumatic growth is the scientifically documented experience of being changed for the better — not in spite of grief, but because of it. Here’s what post-traumatic growth actually means, the 5 areas it appears in, and how bereaved people slowly grow around their loss.
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A crowd is the wrong place for a whisper. Sound there is measured in weight, not meaning. A whisper asks something else. For proximity. For stillness. For the small kindness of someone leaning in, of meeting a mild breeze. It does not compete. It waits. It listens for the quiet of a wave braking at ocean’s edge. In a crowd, it is mistaken for absence. But in the dark, when one person turns and another is already listening, it becomes a bridge— not loud enough to impress, only strong enough to cross. POEM GUIDE AND […]
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The most trusted, authoritative, and influential voice in the publishing world, Kirkus Book Reviews, raves about Walk On , proclaiming it to be “a raw, moving memoir that deftly explores grief and hope in equal measure . . . It is Panus’ unique and sometimes poetic turns of phrase, however, that truly bring Jake’s story to life . . . The author’s acknowledgment that grief is an “unwelcome topic in our society” makes his willingness to tackle it head-on even more admirable.” In today’s world, grief and adversity are everywhere, causing many to suffer and lose hope. From the depths of […]
“A thoughtful, compelling, and deeply human novel.” -John O’Leary, bestselling author of On Fire and In Awe Grief opened the road. Love revealed the way. After the death of his only son shatters the life he once controlled, a fallen sports media executive follows a final message west, trading certainty for a road where grief becomes his guide. Each stranger he meets pulls him deeper into a sacred web of connection, culminating in an encounter with an enigmatic Cheyenne medicine woman who challenges everything he believes about loss and purpose. The Circles We Carry is a sweeping, luminous novel about how love does […]
The Price We Pay is a gentle, honest exploration of grief told through the lived experience of a support group — a place where vulnerability becomes connection, and connection becomes healing. Through my own story of loss, I invite readers to witness what it feels like to sit in a circle of people who are learning to breathe again after life has changed forever. Each chapter ends with tender, reflective questions designed to help readers pause, feel, and find language for what hurts. These questions aren’t instructions — they’re invitations. They create space for readers to meet their grief with […]
AFTER SURVIVAL: A Memoir of Choice, Consequence, and the Life That Followed traces Shane Neilsen’s life after a catastrophic brain injury at ten years old, through the relationships, decisions, and losses that shaped the decades that followed. Among those losses was the murder of his younger sister and only sibling, Michelle. Shane reflects on the grief and anger he carried, the role of faith in finding peace, and learning to remember his sister beyond the circumstances of her death. He also explores the loss of his father and the responsibilities of caring for his aging mother. With honesty, faith, and […]
In this episode of the Open to Hope Podcast, Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley welcome communication expert and researcher Allison M. Alford, PhD, author of Good Daughtering: The Work You’ve Always Done, the Credit You’ve Never Gotten, and How to Finally Feel Like Enough. Together, they explore the often unseen emotional labor of adult daughters, the pressure to meet impossible expectations, and how grief, caregiving, and family relationships can leave daughters questioning whether they’re doing enough. Dr. Alford shares practical insights on setting healthy boundaries, building emotional resilience, and redefining what it means to be a “good enough” […]
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How do we support grieving people after a death? Join host Dr. Heidi Horsley, and her guests, Nate McClendon, and Lori and Raul Morales as they discuss the Do’s and Don’ts. Nate McClendon is a keynote speaker for The Compassionate Friends, music educator, and musician. He is the author of, The Emerging You, which was born from the loss of his 18 yr. old daughter Naomi, who died from an accidental fall from a 10-story building. Lori Morales has a Grief Counselors Certification, and presents workshops at The Compassionate Friends National Conferences. Her son Jonathan died at 16 yrs. old […]
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The death of a parent is an identity loss. Who are we without our mother and/or father on this earth? Join host Dr. Gloria Horsley, and her daughter and co-host Dr. Heidi Horsley, and their guest to talk candidly about parent loss. Dr. Dan Wolfson is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, and the Senior Clinical Director of Experience Camps Adult Grief Retreat. He is also an Adjunct Researcher and Professional Education Trainer at Columbia University’s Center for Prolonged Grief. Dan’s mother died of cancer when he was 18 yrs. old, and he is the author of; My Whole Grief. Elizabeth Devita-Raeburn […]
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How do we help teens and young adults navigate their changing world after a death? Join host Dr. Gloria Horsley, and her daughter and co-host Dr. Heidi Horsley, along with their guests Jordon Gross, Dr. Dan Wolfson, and Elizabeth Devita-Raeburn for an informative and honest conversation about this topic. Jordon Gross is a licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a staff psychotherapist at Wolfson Therapy. He is a training specialist for the New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center. Jordan has extensive experience providing support to Grief Camps such as Camp COPE, and is the author of; My Whole Grief. Dr. Dan […]
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Open to Hope is an online community offering inspirational stories of loss, hope and recovery. We believe hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.
