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 7,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.

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Five Myths About Crying

Posted on October 15, 2024 - by Bob Baugher

Five Myths About Crying Myth #1: Crying is a sign of weakness. This is truly a cultural attitude, not a truth.  Crying is an individual response to a physiological, emotional, […]

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An Introduction to Crying

Posted on October 14, 2024 - by Bob Baugher

An Introduction to Crying Crying is a mysterious and often misunderstood phenomenon.  As an introduction to crying, it can be defined as a way to express grief, pain, anger, joy […]

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Finding Light in the Darkness

Posted on October 14, 2024 - by Gloria Horsley

Finding Light in the Darkness: A Message of Hope and Healing In times of profound struggle and emotional turmoil, it’s easy to feel isolated and overwhelmed. However, Sue Frederick, a […]

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New Normal After a Son’s Suicide

Posted on October 13, 2024 - by Jean Williams

New Normal After a Son’s Suicide Five years after my son’s suicide, I stood at my picture window and smiled at the snowbirds that hovered around the feeder. They spit […]

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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 […]

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Is Climate Grief Real?

Posted on October 7, 2024 - by Linda Goldman

Is Climate Grief Real? Although research on climate grief is in its infancy, researchers have begun to substantiate the impact of climate change on young people and their mental health. […]

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Re-imagining Hope After Trauma

Posted on October 6, 2024 - by Lori Grande

Re-imagining Hope The silent voice of trauma lies idle in the body. Years of dormancy may be followed by its unexpected impact, often on the precipice of healing.  As I […]

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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 […]

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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,” […]

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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 […]

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