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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You Know You’re Recovering from Grief When . . .
August 15, 2018
Grief is a dark place, so dark you wonder if you will ever see light again. While you’re grieving, you are struggling to find your way through a long tunnel of darkness and there is no light ahead. You wonder if you will survive. Maybe you won’t find your way out of the tunnel, a terrible […]
You Can’t Unfriend the Dead
August 14, 2018
Not too long ago, I attended a presentation on grieving in a social-media world. Like so many things with social media, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that social media provides new and creative ways for grieving people to connect and to memorialize. These connections can reduce feelings of […]
Grieving in Advance
August 12, 2018
Is it possible to fully grieve in advance? Only you can truly answer that. This preceding part of the grieving process has been clinically labeled as “Anticipatory Grief”. Perhaps it isn’t as simple as it sounds. How do you anticipate what will happen to you? Some may think that if their loved one is ill […]
Spirituality After a Loss: Interview with Reverend Michael Jemmott
August 10, 2018
At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Reverend Michael Jemmott about faith and spirituality after loss. Reverend Michael works with bereaved people in Baltimore and runs an organization called Roberta’s House, which is a family grief support center. When it comes to dealing with grief, where is God in […]
Litea Williams and Eleanor Haley: What’s Your Grief?
August 8, 2018
What’s Your Grief? is an organization founded and operated by Litea Williams and Eleanor Haley. “Practical, down to earth tools” is their specialty. They also do a lot of work in Baltimore City, working with the community and in particular with the homeless population. Williams and Haley spoke with Open to Hope’s Executive Director Dr. […]
How I Transformed Grief into Growth
July 17, 2018
On a balmy summer evening in 2011, my beloved 26-year-old son David was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident and my life was forever changed. Suddenly plunged into a crazy altered reality, I wandered helplessly through disbelief, confusion, anguish, and searing pain. For a long time I felt stuck in my misery, since death is […]
When Others Want to Know Why You Aren’t ‘Over’ the Death of Your Child
July 17, 2018
Lately, the question I have been getting the most is, “How do I get the people around me to understand why I am still grieving the death of my child so deeply?” We already feel like we are going crazy, and having family and friends tell us we “should be past this by now” may […]
Widowers – Forced to Live in the Shadows
July 4, 2018
When asked, few people can name even one man who has been widowed. But given a few moments for additional consideration, many are likely to say, “Oh wait a minute, I do know one. He lives down the street or works with me at my office.” When I presented this same question to a friend […]
Forgiving the Unscrupulous
June 25, 2018
Our son Aaron was one of the many who suffer from depression and anxiety. He was one of the many who sought help with medication, prescribed by a practicing physician intended to help alleviate this malady. But as it turned out for Aaron and nine others who saw the same doctor, the medication did not […]
