Open to Hope Articles
Do you want to read stories of others who have been where you are? Are you looking for bereavement help, and advice? Look no further. We offer over 3,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.
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Janine P. Salevsky: Nurturing Hope
January 19, 2023
Are you looking for hope? Join Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley and their guest Janine Salevsky bereaved mother of Natalia for an inspiring story of lasting love, Janie is the author of Natalia’s Endless Love and a Princess Heart. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Janine-P-Salevsky-Nurturing-Hope.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Final Vigil for Our Son: Organ Donation
January 7, 2023
Final Vigil for Our Son Three days after Timmy had left his body, Matt and I were again at his bedside, waiting to say goodbye to our son’s body, to walk him to the operating room. It sounded so civilized, sterile, and healing. But no, this surgery would remove his vital organs, place them in containers to be preserved. They would then be transported to various other ORs, where doctors waited to transplant them into other patients’ bodies. We weren’t thinking of that reality as we stood vigil at his bedside, watching him seemingly sleeping. We walked the gurney down […]
Coping with the Down Days
January 5, 2023
Coping With the Down Days The year after my husband John died, my grief brain was at its peak. I wanted to give my brain a rest, but I couldn’t do that. There were dozens of tasks on my to-do list, and progress ranged from slow to nil. Recovering from grief brain was a slow process that came in spurts. I never slipped into classical depression, thank goodness. My brain struggled to adapt to the loss of my beloved John and the onset of more grief. I often felt “down” and wondered if I really was getting depressed. Clinical depression […]
Episode 195: Coping with a Substance Related Death
December 29, 2022
Are you still haunted by a substance related death? Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and their guests Judy Mandel, Glen Lord, and Dr. Tanya Lord for a discussion of how the guilt and shame related to a substance related death can be understood and processed. Judy is the author of White Flag – which chronicles her struggle to save her niece from a substance related death. Dr. Tanya Lord and her husband Glen Lord run SADOD (Support After Death by Overdose Project).
Al Johnson: Exploring Spirituality
December 29, 2022
How do you heal a soul crushed by grief? Join Dr. Gloria Horsley and Episcopal Priest Al Johnson, bereaved parent of Nicholas to explore the many pathways of human suffering, sorrow, and restoration. Al serves on Bishop Sean Rowe’s staff in the Partnership Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Al-Johnson_-Exploring-Spirituality.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Ann J Clark: Recovering Your Authentic Self
December 22, 2022
Feeling that loss has destroyed your world? Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and bereaved parent, Dr. Ann J. Clark to learn how great loss can provide the opportunity to live your best life. She is the author of Healing from great loss: Facing pain and grief to recover your authentic self. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Ann-J-Clark_-Recovering-Your-Authentic-Self.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Christmas Alone is Different Kind of Christmas
December 18, 2022
Coping with Christmas Alone Christmas has always been my most favorite time of year, Neighbor. The twinkling lights, the glitter, the festive colors, and a human generosity that seems more prevalent at this time of year makes everything glow and sparkle. I enjoy every second of decorating my home’s outside decks and porches, nearly every room in my home, right down to topping off each gift with its own bows and baubles. I couldn’t image a Christmas alone. This holiday season is like none to come before, Neighbor. I find it quite poignant that my social media feed sent a […]
‘Our Marriage Would Hold Us’: Family after Child-Loss
December 17, 2022
Fog of Disbelief The morning after our son’s accident, my husband Matt and I sat with the neurosurgeon in a small reception room off the hospital trauma unit. He explained brain stem death and Timmy’s inability to recover. I was listening intently through a fog of disbelief. I needed to understand exactly what had happened to my son, grasping for any straw of hope. The doctor was taking great pains to answer all of our questions, wanting to provide some comfort. At some point, he stopped, nodded toward Matt, and quietly asked me, “Is he going to be okay?” I […]
Marriage after Child-Loss: Enduring the Worst Together
December 15, 2022
The Call It is the call in the middle of the night that every parent dreads. Like other parents, I had carried a constant prayer in my heart for 30 years to keep my children safe. At 3:15 a.m. one Sunday morning, the gentle harp tone of my cell phone startled me out of a deep sleep. I answered before I had fully awakened. “Hello?” “Sherry, hey. This is Brian. Uh, Timmy had an accident. It’s pretty bad.” Blinking fog from my brain, I said, “What happened? Where are you?” Seeing me bolt upright in the bed, Matt rose from […]
