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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Signs and Dreams from our Children

Posted on March 7, 2024 - by Louise Lagerman

Signs and Dreams from our Children Dreams and signs of our children. Do they really exist? Are dreams and signs a technique our deceased children use to contact us to […]

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Widower Ponders What to do With the Ring

Posted on March 6, 2024 - by Richard Ballo

What Do I Do with the Ring? Eight months after my wife Lisa died of cancer, I sat in our bedroom staring at my gold wedding band, the symbol of […]

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Knowing About Grief Helps with Grieving

Posted on March 4, 2024 - by Bradie Hansen

Knowing About Grief Helps with Grieving My father died almost two weeks ago after two weeks in the ICU. For most of that time, he was on a ventilator. My […]

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Grief Can Transform the Future

Posted on March 4, 2024 - by Ilana Estelle

Grief can throw a spanner in the works, but it can also bring acceptance and closure positively, so long as we’re honest with ourselves. Our experiences can distort our perception […]

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Parentlessness with Parents

Posted on March 2, 2024 - by S. Dione Mitchell

The Realization I have 4 parents and yet most times, I feel parentless. The Story of My Parents The story of my parents began in the midst of two affairs […]

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The Invisibility of Grief

Posted on February 26, 2024 - by S. Dione Mitchell

The Visibility of Change My children are tweens/teens. When I think about their development throughout the years, it is clear and tangible to me the ways in which they have […]

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A Spiritual and Healing Journey

Posted on February 26, 2024 - by Ilana Estelle

Spirituality and healing around grief is inevitably an individual and personal journey, with no two people sharing the same experiences. While my interest in spirituality started in childhood, my spiritual […]

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Five Years into Widowhood, Life Goes On

Posted on February 20, 2024 - by Paula Ezop

Five Years into Widowhood I still can’t believe that he is gone, and perhaps I never will.  And that’s all right.  I never thought that I would be alone, and […]

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Emotional Responses to Grief

Posted on February 19, 2024 - by Ilana Estelle

Grief is a highly individual and complex emotional experience that manifests differently in each of us. People may express their grief through a variety of emotions and behaviours. Some common […]

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Embracing Grief When a Pet Dies

Posted on February 5, 2024 - by Ken Breniman

Embracing Grief When a Pet Dies In the midst of grieving, have you ever been surprised by a sign that you are on the right path or at the right […]

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