Loss of a Family Member

Articles

  • 25 Years After September 11th: What I Learned About Grief, Families, and Hope

    Posted on September 7, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

    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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  • New York City: 25 Years of Healing and Hope

    Posted on September 1, 2026 - by Heidi Horsley

    Over the past 25 years, I have watched New York City carry unimaginable loss while continuing to grow, rebuild, and find hope. What stays with me most is how people came together. Families, first responders, neighbors, volunteers, and strangers supported one another in extraordinary ways. In the midst of grief, there was also an incredible sense of connection and community. As the years passed, I watched the city change. Lower Manhattan came back to life. New buildings rose, families grew, and children like mine came of age in a city forever shaped by 9/11. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum became […]

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  • Good Husband, Good Father

    Posted on August 18, 2026 - by Bill Beckett

    Before Bonnie’s death, I had never thought of myself as a caregiver. Husband, father, provider—yes. I used to tell Bonnie that what I wanted on my tombstone was: Good husband, good father. If I had accomplished that, I would be proud of the life I lived. I never imagined I’d make a very good caregiver. Not because I didn’t love Bonnie—quite the opposite. I simply didn’t see myself in that role. Nurses and doctors had gifts I didn’t believe I possessed. But love has a way of unlocking capabilities we never knew we had. When the woman I loved needed […]

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  • The Healing Power of a Grief Letter

    Posted on August 4, 2026 - by Shari

    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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  • Dropping the Ball Again This Year? 3 Easy Intentions for Bouncing Back

    Posted on March 31, 2026 - by Nan Zastrow

    “ I love it when they drop the ball in Times Square. It’s a nice reminder of what I did all last year.” Bouncing back after a significant loss is not only daunting but often shatters one’s self-confidence. I wanted to prove to myself that my grief was not going to control me and force me to surrender just because certain tasks were tedious and the work was hard. Since my husband’s death, I began to question my desire to handle all the maintenance tasks and other things “we “used to do. So, I didn’t plant flower pots overflowing with […]

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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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Open to Hope TV

  • Episode 263: Life After “Us”: Surviving the Loss of a Spouse

    Posted on December 23, 2025 - by admin

    How do men navigate manhood without their dads? Join Dr. Gloria Horsley and her co-host and daughter, Dr. Heidi Horsley for a candid conversation about spouse loss with their guest Dr. Eric Brewer. Dr. Eric Brewer is the Founder and Senior Pastor of Transform Church Ministries. He is a widower 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 […]

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