Loss of a Family Member

After Loss of a parent

Stories of others who have lost parents will inspire and support you. Read, listen and watch. Hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.

Articles

  • Communing with the Dead

    Posted on June 16, 2026 - by Sara Striefel

    There is a phone booth in the middle of the desert in Joshua Tree. It was installed by Colin Campbell and Gail Lerner in honor of their two children, Ruby and Hart, who died in a 2019 car crash. It lives out there amid the tall cholla cacti and the wind that sweeps circles into the salt and sand. I have been thinking about this telephone lately, of how few spaces we have to offload our grief.   In her book, Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss, Hope Edelman offers a handful of events that she believes have the potential to change […]

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  • Mother’s Day After Loss: 9 Compassionate Ways to Cope with Grief on a Tender Holiday

    Posted on May 10, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

    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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  • Missing Mom On Mother’s Day

    Posted on May 10, 2026 - by Gary Sturgis

    I’ll be honest…I’ve been struggling what to say and write today. It’s because today is a day of celebration for so many, yet for so many others, this day comes packed with a punch to the gut and heart. Mother’s Day is about Sunday brunch, flowers, cards and family gatherings. It’s a day that’s filled with the celebration of life, love, happiness, gratitude, hugs and joy. But for some of you…it’s just another day living with a broken heart. There are so many different reasons (way too many for me to list in this blog) why this one day of […]

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  • The Things You Loved Most

    Posted on April 28, 2026 - by Beth Marshall

     Have you ever lost someone close, and in the brain fog of grief, wondered if you might forget some of the things you loved most about them? Their infectious belly laugh, extravagant generosity, or maybe their unconditional love for people? I get it.   Since losing several of my closest and favorite family members- my beloved Mom, Dad, Nana, sister-in-love, Kay, and most recently, my “splendiferous” (his word) brother Mike, I’ve been trying to dig deep and remember exactly what it was that made each of their lives so memorable and magnificent.                           What if you could be the […]

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  • The Eternal Bond: Daughters Honor Their Mothers On The Other Side

    Posted on April 4, 2026 - by lightdoc

    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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  • What Does The Research Tell Us About Grief?

    Posted on March 19, 2026 - by lightdoc

    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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  • ANTICIPATE THE ANNIVERSARY YEAR(S)

    Posted on February 9, 2026 - by Mershon Niesner

    It happened in New York, April 10th, nineteen years ago. Even my hand balks at the date. I had to push to write it down, just to keep the pen moving on the paper. It used to be a perfectly ordinary day, but now it sticks up on the calendar like a rusty nail.  —Donna Tartt, author of The Goldfinch   There is a year nearly every daughter who has lost her mother describes as being very significant. This is the year when she becomes the age of her mother when she died. This was also true for me.  When I […]

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  • Finding Strength and Wisdom after the Loss of a Father

    Posted on November 24, 2025 - by Noah Krishna Villadelgado

    Losing a father is one of the hardest experiences in life. It’s a loss that reshapes you, leaving an emptiness that never truly fades. The pain is deep, and the absence is felt in the quiet moments—the advice left unsaid, the laughter no longer shared, the steady presence that once grounded you.   But in that grief, there is also transformation. The loss teaches us how fleeting life is, reminding us to cherish every moment, to be present, and to live with purpose. It gives us a kind of wisdom that only comes through pain—a deeper understanding of what truly […]

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  • CHANGE: IT’S INEVITABLE

    Posted on November 4, 2025 - by Barbara Ann Fields

    When we are children growing up, it usually never enters our mind that anything, or anybody in our lives will ever change. We envision our parents as being with us always. Our grandparents are a delight and we certainly can’t imagine our lives disconnected from them. Without a doubt, in our innocent thinking, we will sail into the beautiful sunset with all of our siblings. What a devastating wake-up call to find out that people die, that our lives forever change when the people we love the most go by way of the grave. When we lost extended and distant […]

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  • The Day I Truly Lost My Father: How Grief Became My Greatest Teacher and Led me Back to Myself.

    Posted on October 24, 2025 - by Rachelle Muschamp

    The last time that I saw my father, I was 7. He died when I was 28. But I truly lost him at 43 Grief. Such a complex topic—one that we do not speak about enough. Grief shows up in many situations; it is not only about the passing of a loved one. In reality, we are all faced with grief throughout our lives, often on a subconscious level. And we rush through those events without honoring them for what they truly are: rites of passage—moments that mark profound transitions and have the power to transform us completely. Running From […]

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  • Pregnant After My Mother’s Death

    Posted on June 30, 2025 - by Natashia Pillow

    Pregnant After My Mother’s Death I woke up screaming, as if I’d had a nightmare, only to realize this is my new reality. Screaming, crying, breathless, heart aching so deeply, I’m not sure it will ever heal. My stomach in knots feeling like I could puke or poop myself at any moment. My mom is dead. My dad and I found her yesterday. Today is my birthday. FUCK THIS! I don’t ever want to celebrate this day again. I can’t even think about eating, my world in shambles. Oh, by the way, I’m pregnant with my first child, not even […]

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  • When Both Parents Die

    Posted on June 3, 2025 - by Sweta Vikram

    When Both Parents Die May is when most people start to plan their summer vacations; May is the month my heart pounds louder than anything I have ever heard. It’s the month I lost my parents 9 years and 3 days apart. It’s the month my father-in-law passed away. In May 2023, my father and my husband’s father died 2 days apart, one day shy of Mom’s 9th death anniversary. I know, my story sounds like an episode from a horror show. There’s something peculiar about becoming parentless when you’re already “grown.” People assume it’s easier. People who haven’t lost both […]

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  • Open to hope

    Nature and Grief: Empowering Teachings from the World Around Us

    Posted on May 23, 2025 - by David Roberts

    Nature and Grief Following the death of my eighteen-year-old daughter Jeannine in March of 2003, I embraced non-ordinary phenomena to help me develop new insights. One of the things that became clear to me was that we do survive death, and that our deceased loved ones communicate their ongoing existence to us. My willingness to understand the significance of signs and their underlying connections have allowed me to develop clarity and find my peace with Jeannine’s death.  There are many individuals who don’t believe in signs or for whatever reason have not received them. However, there are different ways to […]

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  • Missing Mom on Mother’s Day

    Posted on May 15, 2025 - by Mary Jane Cronin

    Missing Mom on Mother’s Day My friend and I were recently having breakfast and talk turned to the upcoming Mother’s Day.  Both of us have lost our mothers recently and a look of sadness and “I miss her” tears began to fill our eyes. As my thoughts drifted back to my years as a child, when I scurried to make Mom breakfast in bed and bring her flowers from the yard, I softly smiled. She pretended to be surprised and always ate my creations, whether they were tasty or not. Growing into a young woman, the gifts became more memorable […]

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  • ‘I Want My Dad to Walk Me Down the Aisle’

    Posted on May 14, 2025 - by Michelle Gallucci

    When Your Father Dies Have you ever wondered why the good die young? I think about that all the time. It was a perfect Saturday. The couple went to the Bronx, walked around laughing and reminiscing. They went home watched a movie with their kids, but he couldn’t fall asleep. His chest was hurting, he didn’t feel well. Suddenly, he wasn’t breathing. That great man was my dad. How could a perfectly healthy man just suddenly not be there when you get home from school? The thought of what happened that night is always in my head. I wonder if […]

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  • Using Linking Objects on Mother’s Day

    Posted on May 11, 2025 - by Harriet Hodgson

    “I’ve come to see the flag,” she declared. The flag waved outside a rehabilitation floor window. The woman parked her walker, sat down, and peered at the flag. “Look at that!” she exclaimed. “The flag is straight out.” Her husband served in the navy, she shared, and the flag reminded her of him. She came to see the flag many times, an object that linked her with her beloved husband, the man she loved and missed and admired so much.  Objects that Link You  Mother’s Day is coming, and if your mother has died, you may want to find items […]

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  • Embracing Mother’s Day without Mom

    Posted on May 11, 2025 - by Dr. Carol Leibovich Mankes

    Embracing Mother’s Day without Mom Losing my mother is one of the hardest things I have gone through. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. That day, I lost the person who was my support, friend, mentor, and confidant. She was my mom, a strong, brave, and ambitious woman. I know that my strength and resilience are largely because of her. Her being such an amazing role model gave me the tools to overcome many challenges in my own life. For obvious reasons, since her loss, Mother’s Day has not been the same. The grief and challenges that […]

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  • Death, Advanced Directives, and Dad Jokes

    Posted on April 28, 2025 - by Symon Braun Freck

    Death, Advanced Directives, and Dad Jokes It was the best conversation we never wanted to have. I filled out an Advanced Directive with my dad. And it was fun! I had asked family members to fill out Advanced Directives a few times before. I know feelings about your mortality change and, thus, your view of care shifts. And they needed an update. I decided to complete an Advanced Directive, the Five Wishes Document, for myself before asking my dad to complete his. I am not sure that was the right decision. Often, my dad would ask me what I chose […]

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  • Lingering Guilt about my Father’s Death

    Posted on March 9, 2025 - by Bob Baugher

    Lingering Guilt about my Father’s Death On January 11, 2003, I sat on my father’s bed chatting with him at the Mercer Island Care Center. At age 80, he was attempting to recover from a bout of pneumonia. At around 9:30 pm, I kissed him good-bye, got up from the bed and said I’d see him tomorrow. I can still see him lying in the bed, waving to me, both of us feeling assured that we would indeed be together tomorrow. At 6:30 am the next day, I received a call from the nurse saying that he was having a […]

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  • Daughter Feels Little Support for Mother-Loss

    Posted on March 5, 2025 - by Marty Tousley

    Question on Feeling Little Support for Mother-Loss Question: I tearfully happened upon your website by chance this morning.  My dearest friend, my mom, died in my arms this past month.  I had brought her here to live with me after her colon cancer returned. From the moment of diagnosis, I watched her hurt and endure so much treatment, never giving up, always smiling, always gentle, humble.  Since she died, I’ve received very little support from my husband or anyone else.   I joined an online grief group, but I do not feel as if I belong there.  My friends have faded […]

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  • Where Do I Belong Now? After Both Parents Die

    Posted on February 28, 2025 - by Nina Impala

    After Both Parents Die Dad died suddenly in my early fifties. At the funeral, I will never forget the feeling of being 6 years old in a 50-something-year-old body. Mom died just a few short years later; I was strong until the end with her as she battled breast cancer. My years in hospice made me acutely aware of how quickly she would be leaving us. At her funeral the same feeling took over; as the pall bearers walked past me with my mother, I became a child inside. A lady once said to me many, many years ago, I […]

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Open to Hope Radio

Open to Hope TV

  • Episode 262: Growing Up Male: Finding Your Way Without a Father

    Posted on December 23, 2025 - by admin

    How do men navigate manhood without their dads? Tune in as Dr. Gloria Horsley and her co-host and daughter, Dr. Heidi Horsley speak openly about father loss with their guest Dr. Eric Brewer. Eric is the Founder and Senior Pastor of Transform Church Ministries, and author of From Grief To Growth; A 31 Day Journey Of Healing And Renewal Through Love And Loss. Dr. Brewer founded and leads a national weekly support group for Black widowers. His Doctoral dissertation was on; Healing Hidden Wounds: The Resilience of Black Men and the impact of their spirituality upon their grief recovery.  

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  • Episode 256: After the Last Goodbye: Navigating Life After Losing a Parent

    Posted on December 12, 2025 - by admin

    What does grief look like when the person who raised you is gone? Join host Dr. Heidi Horsley and her guests Zaneta Gileno and Kim Burditt Bartlett as they talk about grieving the death of a parent. When Zaneta Gileno was just 10 yrs. old her Dad died of a heart attack, and in 2023, her Mom died of lung issues. Zaneta has a private practice called Hope Rising Psychotherapy & Wellness. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University, and currently serves as Senior Mental Health Advisor and Board Member for Repatriate Our Patriots. In addition, she previously worked […]

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  • Episode 252: Transforming Loss Through Purpose and Meaning

    Posted on October 5, 2025 - by admin

    How do we transform our loss through purpose and meaning?  Join Dr. Gloria Horsley and her co-host and daughter Dr. Heidi Horsley with their guests Dana Lerner, Georgia Lavey, and Casey Mulligan Walsh to discuss finding purpose and meaning after a loss. Dana Lerner is a psychotherapist in NYC, and the founder of Cooper Stocks Way, and co-founder of Families for Safe Streets.  Georgia Lavey is a licensed clinical social worker, and the Clinical Program Director at Our House Grief Support Center in New York City, where she oversees the design and implementation of grief support programs. Casey Mulligan Walsh […]

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  • Episode 250: Grief and the Role of Faith

    Posted on October 3, 2025 - by admin

    When you have suffered a loss, what is the role of faith?  Join Dr. Gloria Horsley and her co-host and daughter Dr. Heidi Horsley and their guests; Casey Mulligan Walsh, Dana Lerner, and Georgia Lavey as they discuss faith and the role it played or didn’t play after their losses.  Casey Mulligan is a the author of the award winning memoir;  The Full Catastrophe: All I Every Wanted, Everything I Feared, and has written for the NY Times, Modern Loss, and Huff Post.  Dana Lerner is a psychotherapist in NYC, and the founder of Cooper Stocks Way, and co-founder of […]

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  • Episode 246: Managing Expectations and Anger in Grief

    Posted on August 4, 2025 - by admin

    The death of a loved one often brings up an array of feelings.  How do we manage expectations and anger in grief?  Join host Dr. Heidi Horsley, along with her guest Dr. Sweta Vikram, as she speaks openly about how she managed expectations and anger after the death of her beloved family members.  Dr. Sweta Vikram lost her father and father-in-law, this was nine years after the death of her mother.  Sweta is the best-selling author of 14 books, including her latest; The Loss That Binds Us; 108 Tips on Coping with Grief and Loss.  Sweta was voted as “one […]

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  • Episode 245: Navigating Life Without Parents

    Posted on August 4, 2025 - by admin

    How do we navigate life after the death of a parent?  Join host Dr. Heidi Horsley, along with her guest Dr. Sweta Vikram, as she speaks openly about how she navigated life without her parents.  Dr. Sweta Vikram lost her father and father-in-law, this was nine years after the death of her mother.  Sweta is the best-selling author of 14 books, including her latest; The Loss That Binds Us; 108 Tips on Coping with Grief and Loss.  Sweta was voted as “one of the most influential Asians of our time,” and the winner of the “voice of the year” award.   […]

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  • Episode 244: The New Normal: Life After Loss

    Posted on August 4, 2025 - by admin

    Does it feel impossible to find a new normal after a loss?  Join host Dr. Heidi Horsley, along with her guest Dr. Sweta Vikram, as she speaks openly about how she navigated the death of her beloved family members.  Dr. Sweta Vikram lost her father and father-in-law, this was nine years after the death of her mother.  Sweta is the best-selling author of 14 books, including her latest; The Loss That Binds Us; 108 Tips on Coping with Grief and Loss.  Sweta was voted as “one of the most influential Asians of our time,” and the winner of the “voice […]

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  • Episode 239: Adjusting to Life Without my Father

    Posted on January 3, 2025 - by admin

    Losing a Dad is tough, even if you’re an adult.  Join hosts Dr. Gloria Horsley and her daughter Dr. Heidi Horsley, with their guests Dr. Jill Harrington, Joyal Mulheron, and Dr. Eric Brewer, as they talk about adjusting to life without their father’s.  Dr. Jill Harrington is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Marymount University, whose father died of prostate cancer.  Jill serves on the advisory board of Hospice Foundation of America, Autism, and Grief Program and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).  She is the creator and editor of Superhero Grief: The Transformative Power of Loss.  Joyal […]

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