Loss of a Family Member

After Loss of a spouse

Find hope and support by reading, listening and watching stories of spouse loss and recovery.

Articles

  • Thanksgiving Darkness

    Posted on November 28, 2024 - by Mark Liebenow

    Thanksgiving Darkness Coming home after work in late November, I hear the sounds of children laughing and look down from the BART station at the playground of St. Leander’s School. Children are running around, playing kickball, and delighting in life. My wife Evelyn tutored at the school after hours for several years as her health slowly improved after a year spent in bed exhausted by Candida, then she was hired to work full-time. But it proved to be too much too soon in her recovery, and she ran out of energy after a few weeks. Searching for what she could […]

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  • The Emotions of Spouse Loss

    Posted on November 25, 2024 - by Beverly Chantalle McManus

    The Emotions of Spouse Loss My entry into widowhood began in 2002 when our family was enjoying a long-awaited summer vacation in Hawaii and my husband Steve noticed he was having trouble swallowing.  It wasn’t just that it was hard to swallow, but it actually hurt.  He promised to get it checked out when we returned home.  But neither of us expected the first two words that came out of the doctor’s mouth when he returned for his lab results:  “It’s cancer.” What?  How could this be?  Just a few weeks earlier Steve had been surfing, snorkeling, hiking all over […]

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  • Grieving Through the Holidays

    Posted on October 24, 2024 - by Catherine Tidd

    Grieving Through the Holidays I know I’m not the only one who is feeling the effects of the season. Grieving during “normal” times is a full-time job.  Throw in 2 or 3 holidays back-to-back and whatever milestones we might have in the middle…well…we’re all working on nervous breakdowns of epic proportions. I think one of the cruelest things about the holidays (and this may just be me) is that we’re dealing with something we used to look forward to so much. And it’s turned into something we can barely get through. My first Christmas without my husband was definitely the hardest.  […]

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  • You Know You’re a Widow When…

    Posted on October 22, 2024 - by Linda Della-Donna

    You Know You’re a Widow When You know you’re a widow when… At the end of a good day, you bust out crying for no particular reason. At the end of a bad day, you burst out laughing for no particular reason. And at the end of every day, you crawl into bed and sleep on His side. You refuse to throw away His toothbrush, His razor, His bar of soap. Because you think He’ll need them. The sight of His bathrobe hanging on a hook on the back of the bathroom door reduces you to tears, but you refuse […]

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  • Death of an Ex-Spouse

    Posted on October 10, 2024 - by Marty Tousley

    Death of an Ex-Spouse Dear Marty: I’m not really sure how to explain how I feel after losing my ex-spouse a month ago—especially since he died the same day that I was having major surgery. Consequently, after the death of my ex-spouse, I’ve had quite a few complications from my surgery. I had to take care of my two teenage boys and their grief the morning after surgery when I got the phone call about their father. The funeral (which was put on by his new young wife) was about the last four years of his life and didn’t talk […]

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  • Widower Reflects on Grief Thirty Years Later

    Posted on September 23, 2024 - by Mike Bernhardt

    Widower Reflects on Grief One evening in my bereavement support group, a couple of months after my wife Susan died, a woman spoke about how comforting it had been to be able to cry for her first husband in the presence of her new second husband. I told her that I hoped I might meet someone so tolerant of my love for someone else. She replied, “You won’t settle for anything less.” I have been married for twenty-eight years to a woman I became friends with a few months after Susan died. Yvonne was patient and giving enough to let […]

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  • Widower Shares Emotional Journey

    Posted on September 23, 2024 - by Mike Bernhardt

    Someone Died Today No matter how prepared or unprepared we are for death, no matter how old or young we are, no matter how much we say, “I love you,” no matter how “good” or “bad” a death it was, no matter how relieved or anguished we feel, no matter what our spiritual or religious beliefs are, the death of a loved one shocks us with its finality. They are gone forever from this world, and our lives will never be the same. The Raging Storm Emotions tumble over us—intolerable pain, rage at our loved one, ourselves and God, terror […]

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  • Widower Finds Poetry Healing

    Posted on September 23, 2024 - by Mike Bernhardt

    Widower Experiences Consuming Grief My wife Susan died unexpectedly in April 1991, the Sunday after Easter. I could never have imagined beforehand how transformative an experience that would be. Nothing was true anymore but the truths of her death and my continued existence. I was shaken to my foundations, forced to decide what I would keep of myself and what I would throw away. Every aspect of my life was subject to review, from my occupation to my spiritual beliefs, from my choice of friends to my choice of doctors. Although some friends were very supportive, for about a year […]

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  • After Husband’s Death, my Year of ‘Solitary Firsts’

    Posted on July 31, 2024 - by Laurel D. Rund

    My Year of ‘Solitary Firsts’ As I write this article, 2-1/2 years after my husband Marty’s death, I am overwhelmed with surprise that so much time has passed. Memories of that first year are wrapped in a surreal haze and when vivid images do surface, the fog lifts and reveals my year of solitary firsts. February 11, 2009, marked the death of my husband, my mate of 42 years. A quote on the back of the Joyce Carol Oates book, A Widow’s Story, says “of the widow’s countless death-duties there is really just one that matters:  on the first anniversary […]

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  • No ‘Shoulds’ in Grieving a Spouse’s Death

    Posted on July 31, 2024 - by Catherine Tidd

    No ‘Shoulds’ in Grieving a Spouse’s Death On my commute to work this morning (by which I mean my walk down to my basement office), I started wondering about something that seems to be a common theme with all of us widows:  The ability to overcome what other people think of us. When our spouses die, the surrounding public seems to think it’s their right–no, their duty… to tell us how things should be done.  They watch as we bumble our way into a somewhat normal existence after our lives have been completely turned upside down.  The people we know […]

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  • The First Anniversary after a Husband Dies

    Posted on July 30, 2024 - by Rachel Kodanaz

    The First Anniversary after a Husband Dies Just like nothing prepares you for the death of a loved one, there is no preparation for the first anniversary of a death. The anticipation of the date can make you just as emotional as the death itself. For all the positive steps forward you have taken over the year, the anniversary can set you back again. Just know that it is a temporary setback, and the strength you have gained over the year will hold you together. Around the anniversary, the workplace can either be a blessing or a curse. It will […]

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Open to Hope Radio

Open to Hope TV

  • Episode 231: Faces of Grief

    Posted on November 6, 2024 - by admin

    Grief comes in many forms, and on this show we will talk about the groundbreaking book “Faces of Grief.” Join Dr. Heidi Horsley and Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki, to discuss Faces of Grief. Joining them are Bill Correll, Jan Jeremias, Carin Mikos, and Kate Mollison. Co-host Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki is a somatic therapist, who started SIBS online, a weekly peer support group. Bill Correll has a podcast called Lightening the Candle: A World the Works.” Jan Jeremias, is the best selling author of “Spoil Your Pet: A Practical Guide to Using Essential Oils in Dogs and Cats.” Carin Mikos is the creator of […]

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  • Episode 230: Turning Loss into Legacy

    Posted on November 6, 2024 - by admin

    How do we turn loss into Legacy? Join host Dr. Heidi Horsley and her co-host Alan Pedersen to talk about the creative ways that people have turned loss into legacy. Joining them are Kate Mollison, Jordon Ferber, Kelli Holst, and Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki. Co-host Alan Pedersen has presented programs for grieving families in over 1,600 cities, and is the former Executive Director of The Compassionate Friends. Kate Mollison, is the founder and CEO of “On Tuesdays We Wear Black.” Jordon Ferber, runs an online Compassionate Friends sibling goup, and is podcast host for Where’s the Grief. Kelli Holst, is the Founder […]

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  • Episode 229: Grief as a Teacher

    Posted on November 6, 2024 - by admin

    Is it possible to learn something from your grief? Join host Dr. Heidi Horsley and her co-host Alan Pedersen as they discuss how grief can be a teacher. Joining them are, Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki, Carin Mikos, Jan Jeremias, Bill Correll, Jordon Ferber, and Kelli Holst. Co-host Alan Pedersen has presented programs for grieving families in over 1,600 cities and is the former Executive Director for The Compassionate Friends. Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki, is a somatic therapist, who started SIBS online, a weekly peer to peer support group. Carin Mikos, is the creator of Quietus House, and podcast host for In the Gap. Jan […]

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  • Episode 228: Finding Hope in the Face of Grief

    Posted on September 27, 2024 - by admin

    Is it possible to find hope again after loss? Join Host Dr. Heidi Horsley and her guests Kelly Cervantes, Tysha Scott and Anne Smith, as they talk about their struggle to find hope in the face of grief. Kelly Cervantes daughter died just before her 4th birthday of epilepsy. She wrote the USA Today best-selling book; Normal/Broken: The Grief Companion For When It’s Time To Heal, But You’re Not Sure You Want To. Kelly has been featured on MSNBC, The NY Times, and CNN. She has been published in the Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune. Tysha Scott is the owner […]

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  • Episode 225: Turning Grief Into Growth

    Posted on September 12, 2024 - by admin

    Early on in grief, it’s often impossible to believe that there will ever be any growth. Join host Dr. Gloria Horsley and her daughter and co-host Dr. Heidi Horsley, along with their guests, Maria Georgapoulos, Elizabeth Devita-Raeburn, Dr. Frank Powers, and Jordon Ferber to discuss how their grief has changed and transformed over the years. Maria Georgapoulos is a licensed mental health counselor, and founder of Roulas Kids, a place for grieving children and their families. Elizabeth Devita-Raeburn is a journalist, and blogger, and the author of, “The Empty Room, Understanding Sibling Loss,” and “The Death of Cancer.” Dr. Frank […]

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  • Episode 224: Healing Guilt, Anger, and Regret After A Loss

    Posted on September 12, 2024 - by admin

    Dealing with guilt, anger, and regret after loss is often difficult. Join host Dr. Gloria Horsley, and her daughter and co-host Dr. Heidi Horsley, along with their guests Jordon Ferber, Dr. Frank Powers, and Maria Georgapoulos for a candid conversation about this topic. Jordon Ferber is a comedian, host of “Where’s the Grief” podcast, and co-founder of the Russel Ferber Foundation. Dr. Frank Powers a licensed psychologist, has been in private practice for over 40 years, and is the author of “Finding Love After Loss.” Maria Georgapoulos is a licensed mental health counselor, and founder of Roulas Kids, a place […]

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