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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Valentine’s Day Rituals to Awaken Memories
February 7, 2025
Valentine’s Day Rituals to Awaken Memories Ponder the Vows you made to each other. Every “love” adventure steps into the great unknown . Your vows challenge you to work through life together. Celebrate the adversity you overcame as you weathered the storms of life. Be grateful for the milestones you accomplished together. As a Valentine’s Day ritual, acknowledge your journey—the trials and the triumphs! Make a List of your Happiest Times Together. Review it every time sadness overwhelms you and threatens you into despair. Use the list to ignite the flame of love and connection. It’s a promise that heals […]
Valentine’s Day Memories
February 7, 2025
Valentine’s Day Memories “Random memories tell the stories of our lives…the difficult and joyous times that reveal who we are now, how far we’ve traveled, and who we’ve become because of our experiences.” Valentine’s Day dawned, and I awoke keenly aware that my first year without my husband was predestined to be an emotional one. It occurred just one month after his unexpected death. I wouldn’t be creating any new memories. Gary’s absence filled the house, and the relenting ache of early grief was overwhelming. I craved having just one more time. One more memory. Hearing his laughter and feeling […]
Entering a New Relationship after Death of a Life Partner
January 30, 2025
Entering a New Relationship One of the most charming questions I ever received in one of my second-year spousal-loss classes came from a middle-aged man named Sam. He said, “If I were to invite a woman over to dinner, how many framed pictures of my deceased wife would be too many?” His question was a good one. Sam, like most people who have lost a mate, had increased the number of framed photos around his house so he could feel his late wife’s presence. I answered his question with one of my own: “If you went into a widow’s home, […]
Jennifer ‘Suki’ Otsuki: Cooking Through Grief Finding Healing in the Kitchen
January 22, 2025
Join Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley as they talk with Jennifer “Suki” Otsuki—chef, storyteller, and healer—about how food helped her recover after losing her partner and sous Chef Suki shares insights from her memoir, Soul Nourished, which features recipes and rituals for healing and connection.
Episode 240: What Grieving People Need to Know
January 6, 2025
What would it be helpful for grieving people to know? Join hosts Dr. Gloria Horsley and her daughter Dr. Heidi Horsley, with guests Joyal Mulheron, Dr. Eric Brewer, and Dr. Jill Harrington to candidly discuss what they wish they had known after their losses. Joyal Mulheron is a Washington D.C. public policy expert, with more than 25 years of service to the Nation’s Governors and The White House. Joyal has created Evermore; an organization dedicated to providing holistic bereavement care to children and families. Dr. Eric Brewer is the Founder and Senior Pastor of “Transform Church Global Ministries” and the […]
Episode 238: The Next Chapter: Life After Spouse Loss
January 2, 2025
What does the next chapter look like after a spouse loss? Join hosts Dr. Gloria Horsley and her daughter Dr. Heidi Horsley with their guests; Dr. Eric Brewer and Dr. Jill Harrington to discuss life after spouse loss. Dr. Eric Brewer is the Founder and Senior Pastor of “Transform Church Global Ministries” and the author of From Grief to Growth. His wife Holly died of Covid-19, and he has since remarried Tiffany Brewer. Eric founded and leads a national weekly support group for black widowers. Dr. Jill Harrington is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Marymount University. Her husband […]
Ten New Year’s Eves: A Widow Remembers
December 30, 2024
Ten New Year’s Eves December 31st has come and gone ten times since my husband Bob was murdered. While ringing in the New Year with friends, Bob left our dinner table to check on the home of a vacationing neighbor. It had become apparent no responsible adult was overseeing a party the neighbor’s teenaged son was throwing. Bob walked in on two hundred drunk and out of control youth. Within minutes he was dead, beaten to death by two young men angered by his efforts to shut things down. I was left a widow with four-year-old twins. The first year […]
Episode 237: Nurturing Hope in Grieving Kids
December 22, 2024
How do we nurture hope in grieving kids? Join hosts Dr. Gloria Horsley and her daughter Dr. Heidi Horsley with their guests; Dr. Korie Leigh, Julie Ryan, Dr. Liza Barros-Lane, and Kate Mollison to candidly discuss how to help grieving children. Dr. Korie Leigh is an Associate Professor and Program Director at Marian University, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Heros’ Path Palliative Care. She is the author of, It Won’t Ever Be the Same; A Teens Guide to Grief and Grieving, and What Does Grief Look Like? Julie Ryan is a Medical Intuitive. She is the […]
Episode 236: Widowed Too Soon
December 22, 2024
Have you been widowed too soon? Join hosts Dr. Gloria Horsley and her daughter Dr. Heidi Horsley with their guests Dr. Liza Barros-Lane, Sarah Voleman, and Kate Mollison to discuss the hidden issues around suddenly becoming widowed. Dr. Liza Barros-Lane is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Houston-Downtown, her husband died in a drowning accident, leaving her a widow with a three year old son. Liza founded The Young Widowhood Project, and shares her insights through @The Widowed Researcher. Sarah Voleman is a board certified art therapist and a licensed social worker. She is a faculty […]
