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.

Articles Home

Open to hope

Maya Angelou’s Death: Grieving Someone You’ve Never Met

Posted on May 29, 2014 - by Gemini Adams

With the death of Maya Angelou this week, millions of her advocates and fans will be mourning the loss of an exceptional woman. This grief may, to some, seem misplaced. Because, when any public figure passes a wave of “grief judgment” often follows, from family members, the media, even friends. People question the validity of our grief: How can you grieve so heavily for someone whom you’ve never met? The relationship we have with our idols can be a complex one. Wrapped up in our adoration of the work they were able to accomplish we often find our own unfulfilled […]

Read More
Open to hope

The Beginning of the End: Death is Not Worst Outcome

Posted on May 29, 2014 - by Bernie Siegel

And we ourselves shall be loved for a while and forgotten, but the love will have been enough. All those impulses of love return to the love that made them; even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love; the only survival the only meaning. — Thornton Wilder The best part of a good man never dies. You will see him in all the things here out of love and for love…The best part of a good man stays forever for love is immortal […]

Read More
playwright Ann Randolph

Playwright Ann Randolph on Writing about Grief

Posted on May 28, 2014 - by Nancy Gershman, LMSW

How is a performance and a post-show creative writing workshop sparking a national discourse on grief? This and more when memory artist Nancy Gershman sits down with playwright and comedian, Ann Randolph to talk about her one-woman show, LOVELAND – and the transformative and healing power of writing about grief.  Learn more about Randolph’s week-long “Write Your Life”workshops, by visiting Ann at www.AnnRandolph.com. “When you’re dead jokes” can be conversation starters  Ashes exposed can bring strangers together With nothing left to lose, liberated behaviors surface Writing about grief in a group setting forms “community” Turn your inner critic into a character you can stand up to  We […]

Read More
Open to hope

Learning How to Talk ‘Grief’

Posted on May 28, 2014 - by Harriet Hodgson

  I’m a grief writer and know lots of grief words. After four loved ones died, however, I realized I had to learn more. Adding to my grief vocabulary helped me to understand research. New grief words and terms also helped me to understand my journey. Most important, these new words and terms helped me evaluate my grief. The National Cancer Institute, in a website article titled “Loss, Grief, and Bereavement,” defines some basic grief terms. Grief is defined as the normal process of reacting to loss. Bereavement is defined as the time after loss, a painful time of tears […]

Read More
Open to hope

Artist who Lost Mother Collaborates with Family Writings

Posted on May 27, 2014 - by Katherine Relf-Canas

In the San Francisco Bay Area with its forward-looking culture, we take notice of what’s new. We thirst for innovation. Bay Area artist Belinda Chlouber finds fascination and value in exploring and mining the past. I spoke with her in her San Mateo home studio about a recent series of multi-media work. Currently she has pieces that are part of a group show in San Mateo California art space Flywheel Press. Part of her recent body of work will be on exhibit at Oklahoma State University Museum of Art’s Postal Plaza Gallery in a one-woman show from June 16 – […]

Read More
Open to hope

Grief as a Backpack

Posted on May 27, 2014 - by Angela Miller

People seem to think the ache of missing our children would become more bearable over time. It doesn’t. In fact, some of my days now are more painful as the years go on, because I’m further and further since I last held my son safely in my arms. You’d think after all this time I’d be less caught off guard when I think of my son and I suddenly cannot breathe. I’m not. It doesn’t get easier to choke on air. It doesn’t get easier to live without a huge piece of your heart. Over time I think we learn […]

Read More
Open to hope

The Upside of Sadness in Our Grief Journeys

Posted on May 19, 2014 - by David Roberts

Entitled No More During the last few days of my existence, I have experienced more sadness than usual. Considering that I am a parent whose child died  over 11 years ago, I could justify my sadness as something that I was entitled to because of my daughter Jeannine’s death. However, entitlement hasn’t been a part of my vocabulary for a long time. I have learned to express gratitude for the blessings in my life, as opposed to regret over what I don’t have or what I feel that I am entitled to have. Plus I have found my peace with […]

Read More
Open to hope

Shared Hope: A Source of Comfort and Energy

Posted on May 19, 2014 - by Harriet Hodgson

For six months, my husband has been hospitalized, recovering from a dissected aorta and a deep surgical wound. His scar is closing and he will need ongoing physical therapy for his paralyzed legs. Many patients would be discouraged by these health challenges, and my husband admitted that he burst into tears one day. Still, he has a positive outlook on life. “I haven’t given up on hope,” he told his physical therapist. His hope has renewed my hope. Equally important, his hope made me aware of the power of hope. As the days passed I realized hope made us a […]

Read More
Open to hope

Healing Through Art: Interview with Sharon Strouse

Posted on May 18, 2014 - by Gloria Horsley

At the annual ADEC Conference, I had the opportunity to speak with Sharon Strouse of The Kristin Rita Strouse Foundation and discuss with her ways to deal with grief after losing a child. Sharon is also the author of a book called Artful Grief: A Diary of Healing. Using her book, anyone can create their own collage and begin the process of moving through grief. In the video below, Sharon shares how to use art therapy to heal. Here are some key takeaways from the video: Sharon lost her daughter to suicide on October 11, 2001. About a year after […]

Read More
Open to hope

Death, Dying and Grief in an Online Universe: Interview with Carla Sofka

Posted on May 18, 2014 - by Gloria Horsley

At the annual ADEC Conference, I had the opportunity to speak with Carla Sofka and discuss with her how to deal with grief. Carla is the editor of the book Dying, Death, and Grief In An Online Universe. This book looks at grieving in an online world and talks about how it is affecting the way we grieve, and the way people are getting their information about the loss of a loved one or friend. In the interview below, Carla and I discuss how the process of dealing with death, dying, and grief is changing in today’s connected world. Here […]

Read More

Foundation

Get Involved

Resources

Copyright © 2026 Open to Hope