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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Episode 28: Grief Styles: The Enneagram
February 12, 2014
On this show Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley discuss grieving styles given Enneagram personality types with the author of the Enneagram Made Easy, Elizabeth Wagele, and Jan Conlon, grief support expert. Katie Morford registered dietician and author of Mom’s Kitchen Handbook gives tips for healthy eating during stressful times.
Episode 27: Grieving Styles: Myers Briggs
February 12, 2014
On this show Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley interview Lisa Prosser-Dodds, PhD, Therapist and Author regarding individualized grief responses based upon Jungian personality types, measured by the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (GRIEFtype). Musician discusses how his grief type is expressed through his music.
The Grief of Disability is Powerful and Life-Changing
February 12, 2014
In October, my husband’s aorta split for the second time. He had three operations in less than a week. The third one, to remove blood and insert grafts, took 13 hours. Unfortunately, he had a spinal stroke during the operation. When he agreed to have the surgery my husband understood the odds, a 20 percent chance of dying, a 10 percent chance of being paralyzed. “Your chances of having more time with your family are 80 percent,” one surgeon explained. My husband accepted the risks in order to be with his family. He was anesthetized for three weeks in Intensive […]
Tom Zuba: Recovering from Multiple Losses
February 6, 2014
Tom Zuba is a life coach, author and speaker teaching a new way to do grief. In 1990 Tom’s daughter Erin died suddenly. His wife Tricia died in 1999 and his son Rory died in 2005. He is the author of the upcoming book Permission to Mourn: A New Way to Do Grief. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2014/01/Tom-Zuba.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
New Year’s Resolutions After a Spouse-Loss
January 1, 2014
Give yourself a big pat on the back! You’ve just survived the holidays, one of the toughest times for anyone grieving a loss. Now you’re probably looking ahead and wondering how you’ll ever make it through the next twelve months. Here are five suggestions to help gently ease you along the bumpy road of bereavement: 1. Remember to keep any resolutions realistic. You’re not your usual self while you’re grieving, so be gentle with yourself. 2. Set at least one small, “bite-size” goal every day, such as tackling a couple of tasks. Be sure to reward yourself after each effort. […]
How Do I Handle the Family of My Former Spouse?
December 17, 2013
When I lost my husband, I didn’t realize how deeply that would affect other relationships—particular with his family. When ties are broken by death, relationships with former family members often change. Of course remarrying completely shifts things, but even if you don’t remarry, your relationships are usually different after the loss of your spouse. You will always have that bond of shared memories with your husband’s mother, sister or brother, for example. But their perspective naturally, is different from yours—depending on the relationship. Also, each person involved handles grief individually, and heals at a different pace and in different ways. Any […]
Episode 25: Healing With Art and Humor
December 10, 2013
On this show comic writer and comedian Carol Scibelli and art therapist Barbara ‘Basia’ Mosinski give Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley tips and insight into how humor and art helped them to get through the deaths of family members including a spouse, step-son, and parent. Carol is the author of Poor Widow Me. Singer, songwriter Larry Stevens closes the show.
After Eight Years, It’s Getting Better at the Holidays
December 4, 2013
Thanksgiving is here. I am grateful for many, many things. Every day I count my blessings…really. My life is pretty, dang good most days. Sure I have struggles and challenges, everyone does. Widowed and non-widowed alike will have moments of acute gratitude and acute pain. It is what it is. People have joy and sorrow in their lives every, single day….holiday or not. I’m getting better at holidays. Over eight years of practice now and I don’t feel completely taken down by them. This is my ninth Thanksgiving widowed. It is my boys ninth Thanksgiving without their dad. When I […]
Holidays and Bereavement: A Different Way to Cope
November 27, 2013
All over the web, people are posting “how to survive the holidays” articles. It’s true – this time of year adds an extra measure of pain to people already bearing more than they can, more than they should ever have to. There is the empty seat at the table, the heaviness of all the ways the one you love is missing, traditions that have gone flat, smacking against the empty place. The first holiday season after Matt drowned was surreal for so many reasons. Death. There’s the big one. But there was also the frantic need for people to make it […]
