Open to Hope Articles

Articles Home

‘Heaven-Faith’ is Comforting

Posted on May 6, 2022 - by Fran Buhler

Death is a friend — not something to dread and fear. In our sorrow, there is One we can trust. We may trust the Holy One. Death comes under His […]

How My Mother’s Loss Changed Me

Posted on May 6, 2022 - by Lori Koidahl

My Mother’s Loss Changed Me My metamorphosis commenced when I suffered the intense loss of my mom. Her death unraveled all my patterns, disrupted my life, and revealed how much […]

Finding Peace After the Loss of a Brother

Posted on May 3, 2022 - by Veronica Mather

A Brother’s Sudden Death As I walk into the beach hut, all is quiet. Still. Everything, as Carl left it. His table with a view of the ocean he loved […]

Grief is One Thing. Prolonged Grief Disorder is Another

Posted on May 3, 2022 - by Andrea Gilats

Does She Have a Grief Disorder? A 68-year-old woman seeks care from her primary physician because of trouble sleeping 4 years after the death of her husband. On questioning, she […]

Dealing with ‘What if’ Questions

Posted on May 3, 2022 - by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley

What If Questions After a Loss A loved one has died. Even if you knew their death was eminent, you’re in total shock. You feel sad, anxious, and confused. Before […]

Telling the Children that Mom is Going to Die

Posted on April 29, 2022 - by Stedman Stevens

Telling the Children My wife was dying, and telling the children was the next step. My wife and I struck out on our journey to prepare, protect, and parent our […]

Overcoming Male Grief: The Widower’s Journey

Posted on April 29, 2022 - by Herb Knoll

Overcoming Male Grief For nearly 14 years, I have dedicated my life to the service of widowers worldwide, and during that time, I have learned much about what it takes […]

Inscribing a Headstone: The Importance of Tradition

Posted on April 21, 2022 - by Larry Hirschhorn

Headstone for a Son My son Aaron died this past March in a boating accident. He was 42 years old. He leaves behind a wife, three children and heartbroken parents. […]

Grief is a Dancer

Posted on April 21, 2022 - by Alisa Bair

Grief is a Dancer Grief is a dancer full of kinetic energy. At first, the stranger shows up with a dance card at the most devastatingly inconvenient time. The dance […]

Gifts in the Pain

Posted on April 14, 2022 - by Mike Bernhardt

Gifts in the Pain 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 […]