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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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Watching My Wife Die: Carrying the Tiger

Posted on April 21, 2025 - by Tony Stewart

Watching My Wife Die “Sometimes you have to say enough is enough.” It is late afternoon. Lynn and I are in the living room, she in her wheelchair, me in a folding chair in front of her. There is one light on, leaving most of the room in shadow. Dr. Hellman speaks calmly, gently. “If you go back to the hospital now, you will probably never come out,” he says. “The radiation may slow it a little, but there’s just too much cancer. We’re not going to beat it, and the treatments will make you even weaker. If there’s ever […]

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The Shock of Spouse Loss: Carrying the Tiger

Posted on April 21, 2025 - by Tony Stewart

The Shock of Spouse Loss Sunday, September 28, 2014 It’s an unseasonably warm Sunday in late September. I am working at my computer while my wife, Lynn, lies on our bed across the hall, sketching our elderly cat, Jack. She’s spent a lot of time like that these past two months, feeling increasingly crummy for some reason the doctors can’t figure out. It began as chronic indigestion, then acid reflux, and recently bouts of diarrhea. She’s stopped enjoying her meals and is losing a lot of weight. Her doctors have given her every kind of scope and scan they can […]

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Why the Death of a Child is Unique Among Losses

Posted on April 14, 2025 - by Greg Adams

The Death of a Child is Unique When Ruby Cooper was 16 years old, she gave birth to twins, and she told this story as part of The Moth Radio Hour podcast, https://themoth.org/stories/giving-and-receiving. One baby died at birth and the other was a boy later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. In was 1960, and her son’s doctor recommended that Ruby place her son in an institution so that he could be “with his kind.” Ruby responded that she was his mother and thus “his kind,” and she would raise him herself. Overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising a son with special […]

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The Lessons of Grief

Posted on April 7, 2025 - by Linda Henderson

The Lessons of Grief Grief is ugly. It is raw, relentless, and merciless. It does not come gently or leave quietly. Grief stormed into my life like a natural disaster, shattering everything I once knew and leaving me with a version of myself I no longer recognize. It did not ask for permission and knew no boundaries. Grief is powerful and invades my entire body. It gives pain a new definition. Grief makes me cry until I am tearless and gasping to breathe. Until every muscle in my body aches from the sobbing, and I feel hollow. The emptiness it […]

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sibling loss comfort

Honoring Sibling Loss

Posted on March 24, 2025 - by Gloria Horsley

Honoring Sibling Loss The discussion centers on the deep pain and continuing impact of losing a sibling. The conversation gathers heartfelt stories, personal reflections, and practical advice from those who have experienced such a loss. The dialogue touches on the challenges of grief, how sibling loss shapes personal identity, and ways to remember those who have passed. The speakers share how these losses have altered the course of their lives and offer inspiration for others dealing with similar emotions. Sharing Personal Journeys Several individuals recount their experiences with sibling loss. Among the speakers is a host who is a doctor, […]

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surgeons journey through loss

Transform Trauma into Purpose

Posted on March 17, 2025 - by Gloria Horsley

Transform Trauma into Purpose Dr. Melissa Red Hoffman, an acute care surgeon at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, shares her powerful story of surviving two traumatic losses and finding meaning in their aftermath. As one of only 90 surgeons board-certified in hospice and palliative medicine, her unique perspective bridges the gap between acute trauma care and end-of-life support. A Life-Altering Loss At age 19, Dr. Hoffman experienced her first devastating loss when her father was murdered in Cairo, Egypt. He was 47 years old, on a business trip working on a pipeline between Egypt and Israel, when he was […]

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Finding Hope in the Darkness

Posted on March 10, 2025 - by Linda Henderson

Finding Hope in The Darkness The Grief of the loss of my daughter deeply embedded itself in my soul. The loss of a child is a profound, life-altering experience. The journey through this loss is one of unimaginable pain that seeps into every cell of existence. The unbearable despair of Grief makes Hope inconceivable and feels unreachable. The weight of Grief is suffocating, making it seem impossible to see any light. Understanding Grief Grief is a whole-body experience. The harsh impact attacks a person with changes that influence us physically, emotionally, cognitively, socially, and in every way possible. Depression, sadness, […]

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Lingering Guilt about my Father’s Death

Posted on March 9, 2025 - by Bob Baugher

Lingering Guilt about my Father’s Death On January 11, 2003, I sat on my father’s bed chatting with him at the Mercer Island Care Center. At age 80, he was attempting to recover from a bout of pneumonia. At around 9:30 pm, I kissed him good-bye, got up from the bed and said I’d see him tomorrow. I can still see him lying in the bed, waving to me, both of us feeling assured that we would indeed be together tomorrow. At 6:30 am the next day, I received a call from the nurse saying that he was having a […]

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Father Pens 30th Birthday Message to Deceased Son

Posted on March 8, 2025 - by Ron Villano

Message to Deceased Son My son, Michael, was born 30 years ago today.  It would have been amazing to see what he would have looked like.   I often dream about what he would be doing with his life.  Married?  Kids?  Or…  still living at home?!? Well, he is still at home.  His stocking is on my fireplace at Christmas.  His picture is on the mantle and in my home office.  Michael is also at work, in my wallet, and on the internet.  His rap CD, just recently created from old cassette tapes,  is being heard by others for the first […]

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Daughter Feels Little Support for Mother-Loss

Posted on March 5, 2025 - by Marty Tousley

Question on Feeling Little Support for Mother-Loss Question: I tearfully happened upon your website by chance this morning.  My dearest friend, my mom, died in my arms this past month.  I had brought her here to live with me after her colon cancer returned. From the moment of diagnosis, I watched her hurt and endure so much treatment, never giving up, always smiling, always gentle, humble.  Since she died, I’ve received very little support from my husband or anyone else.   I joined an online grief group, but I do not feel as if I belong there.  My friends have faded […]

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