Hurting and in pain and looking for hope? In times of bereavement watch, read and listen to stories of hope and recovery.
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 loneliness of grief is one of the most universal and least talked-about parts of bereavement. Even surrounded by people, you can feel utterly alone. Here are 7 compassionate ways to navigate grief loneliness and slowly build connection through the hardest season.
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Father’s Day after loss can feel like a long, loud reminder of everything you no longer have. Whether you’re grieving your dad, your child, your partner, or another father figure, here are 8 compassionate, therapist-tested ways to cope with grief on Father’s Day, honor the man you loved, and find a quiet thread of hope on a tender day.
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Grief triggers are the unexpected reminders that knock you sideways months or years after a loss — a song on the radio, a familiar smell, a stranger’s phrase. Here’s why grief triggers happen, what to do when one ambushes you, and 8 ways to live alongside them.
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Grief Changes You – Awareness Helps You to Rebuild Loss changes you. It’s natural to feel lonely and unsure when someone important is no longer there. When depression that follows loss is part of the picture, everything can feel heavier and harder to move through. For a long time, that weight can feel constant – like you’re moving through fog. Separation can also create a space you don’t recognize, but it can also help you see yourself without old patterns or expectations. That distance can feel uncomfortable at first, but it is often where something begins to shift. You start […]
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It’s Spring and you find yourself watching people around you excitedly making plans for their upcoming summer vacations. Instead, what are you doing? You are thinking about how much you miss your loved one. How long has it been? Bereaved people are often asked this question. I ask it of you, “How long has it been?” Now answer this question: “How long does it feel like it’s been?” A common answer is, “On one hand it feels like yesterday. On the other, it feels like a long time ago.” Why do we experience our lives like this? How can something […]
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Memorial Day is meant to be a day of remembrance, but for those who are actively grieving, the holiday can feel like an emotional ambush. Here’s how to cope with grief on Memorial Day, honor the loved one you lost, and protect your own heart on a day designed for remembering.
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Surviving siblings are sometimes called the forgotten grievers. Brothers and sisters lose their oldest witness, their playmate, the keeper of their childhood — and the world too often expects them to be the strong one. Here’s why sibling loss is uniquely complicated, and 7 ways to honor your grief.
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Mother’s Day after loss can feel like an emotional minefield. Whether you’re grieving your mother, a child, a sibling, or anyone you love, here are 9 compassionate, therapist-tested ways to cope with grief on Mother’s Day, honor your person, and find a quiet thread of hope on a tender holiday.
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Mother’s Day usually stirs up memories of celebrating my Mom with my brothers and sisters when we were kids- showering her with all the snuggles, handmade cards and French toast from the Betty Crocker Boys and Girls Cookbook. Nothing said I Love You like delivering fresh flowers to her (right out of her garden).🌷 This year, though, I’ve been thinking a lot about my dear new friend, Marlene, who will be navigating her first Mother’s Day since the shocking death of her beloved son, BJ. Marlene shared the heart shattering news on social media last year, “No words […]
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Grief seldom moves in straight lines. Rather, grief can be more like the ever-changing weather over the ocean or like the relentless tides against a rocky coast. Some days it is mist. Some days it is stormy. And sometimes, it becomes stone. I meet people years after a loss who share, “I know it has been a long time, but it still feels like yesterday.” Their lives have continued. They work. They parent. They show up. Yet their bodies remain braced, as if the moment of loss is still unfolding. This is where the conversation about psychedelic-assisted grief therapy begins. […]
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When someone you love is grieving, the fear of saying the wrong thing can keep you frozen on the doorstep. Here are 12 things to say to a grieving friend, 5 things to never say, and the simplest, most powerful gift you can offer when words run out.
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How many times have we heard it, or perhaps we’ve even said something like it ourselves: “Oh man, the first year after they died was hard, but I think the second year, in some ways, has been even harder.” It doesn’t seem fair, and how can it be fair that the second year of grieving can feel more challenging than the first? If and when that happens for us, it can feel rather crazy-making. Did I do something wrong? Is this normal? How can this even make sense? Good questions, and the answers to the first two are likely “no” […]
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I’ve come to believe that some souls simply aren’t meant to stay here long. And I don’t say that lightly. It’s not something I understand in any earthly way, because truthfully, I don’t. There’s no logic that can explain why someone we love so deeply could be here one day and gone the next. If there’s a reason, I wish I knew it. But I don’t. What I do believe is that we’re each sent here to touch certain lives. To love certain people. To leave imprints that carry on long after we’re gone. Maybe our time, no matter how […]
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Death is the eternal mystery, a mystery that fills our souls with both awe and terror. The consequences of the death of one’s mother is not like any other ordeal in life. Daughters are often faced with resurrecting a new life without a road map, catapulted upon the ruins that remain, while enduring indescribable emotional pain. Based on my experience of my mother’s death, and the shared narratives with other daughters, I have spoken with, this journey is both courageous and terrifying. You will regain your balance, but you will not be the same person. I have never surrendered my […]
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Monday is my brother’s birthday, and he has been gone for almost four years. I have been more emotional for weeks, and I didn’t even realize it; it hit me like a brick wall the other day. Grief is crazy like that; how it can just come in and take over like a bad storm, and you don’t even realize it. Today I got a text from his wife, in a group chat with my other brother and his wife. Asking “Is the plan still on for Monday?” I was personally unaware of any plans for Monday. So, I had […]
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Grief is part of the human experience; however, the grief of daughters whose mothers have died is significantly different than other losses. Research is needed that does not quantify or reduce the suffering women experience to only numerical findings, but includes tools for grief empowerment. According to the National Alliance on Caregiving, over 53 million baby boomers are now caring for their ailing parents, and 61 percent of caregivers are women caring for a female relative, most likely their mothers. Because caregiving is considered a “woman’s job” (i.e., unpaid), women often suffer emotionally and financially from what is referred to […]
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Grieving Who We Were Before the World Changed I didn’t need another reason to mentally and emotionally struggle. It’s what I have always known, what continues for me. There is a quiet kind of grief that doesn’t always come with a clear ending. It’s the grief for the version of ourselves that existed before Covid struck, before uncertainty became the norm, and before we were reshaped by it. We not only lost loved ones, but we lost ourselves. We were quietly expected to continue, to move forward, but not everyone has been able to do that. Long-Covid is something many […]
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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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Are you dealing with a traumatic death? Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and their guest Merle and Cindy Myers who have been volunteer Senior Chaplains. They are hosts of the Grief and Trauma Chaplaincy website with free resources for trauma and loss survivors. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Merle-and-Cindy-Meyers_-After-the-Unthinkable-Chaplains-Share-How-to-Heal-from-Traumatic-Death.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley welcome Dr. Natoshia Mitchell, who discusses her experiences with adversity after losing two children—one to stillbirth and another to domestic violence. Her son Trey Sermon plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dr. Mitchell is the author of When My Soul Cried: Healing, Forgiveness and Releasing and Shaking the Feel, and she founded the Arise By Faith non-profit. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Natoshia-Mitchell_-Grief-Faith-and-Resilience_-One-Mothers-Journey-Through-Unimaginable-Loss.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Looking for online grief support? Join Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley with guest Enya Flack, bereaved spouse and actress, as they discuss Infinity Garden—a customizable virtual memorial created by Tamark Berry for grieving families. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Enya-Flack_-A-Living-Tribute-Creating-Virtual-Gardens-of-Remembrance.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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The Roar of Silence is a poetry collection written in the aftermath of profound loss, when language breaks down and silence becomes the only honest response. After the death of his son, a father searches for meaning in the quiet that follows devastation. These poems do not attempt to resolve grief or offer consolation. Instead, they listen—to absence, to memory, and to the altered gravity of living on. Silence appears here as wound and teacher, as accusation and refuge, as the space where truth waits without explanation. Moving through themes of fatherhood, masculinity, inheritance, endurance, and love passed forward, The Roar of […]
A self-help book that guides readers through the grieving process after losing a loved one, offering practical tools and encouragement to find hope and joy again. Written by an author who experienced significant loss, the book helps readers understand their feelings, provides steps for healing, and encourages journaling to honor the memory of the deceased. It’s designed to be a supportive resource for navigating the overwhelming emotions of grief, including holidays and special days, and recognizing when to seek professional help. Key aspects of the book: Author’s experience: Marshall wrote the book after losing close family members, using her own journey […]
From the very first page, Grief Doodling invites action. Topics range from the benefits of doodling to why doodling is fun to doodling tips and responding to doodling prompts. The prompts, based on grief research, promote self-worth and healing. This is a hopeful book—something all grieving kids need.
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.
