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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Remembering Dakota: Sibling Loss and Its Impacts

Posted on June 14, 2022 - by Skye Page

Brother Died Before I Was Born When was the first time I learned about death? I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know about it. Hi, I’m Skye, and I was born two years after my oldest brother, Dakota, died from medulloblastoma, a brain tumor. That’s right, my brother died before I was born. So it’s true when I say I was born understanding death. Most young people don’t have to deal with so much loss in their family. It’s had a huge impact on my life, causing pain but also giving me strength and understanding in the realm […]

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Grieving Children, Teens Have All the Feelings

Posted on June 13, 2022 - by Greg Adams

Grieving People Have All the Feelings Sometimes a death impacts a school or community organization, like a church or Boy Scout troop. A child or teacher dies, and I am invited to facilitate a one-time grief support discussion with children or teenagers. It’s a very condensed experience. I start with establishing rapport and gradually (but also quickly) move into talking about death in movies and books, the difference between grief and mourning, and the person who died. We start with the person and their life because while their death and how they died was very important, even more important is the […]

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Getting Through my First Father’s Day Without Dad

Posted on June 13, 2022 - by Brooke Carlock

‘You No Longer Have a Dad’ I never did much for my dad on Father’s Day.  We didn’t have any particular traditions to mark the occasion.  It was the same for birthdays and anniversaries – both his and mine.  Sometimes we sent cards and phoned to say, “I love you.” Other times we went out to dinner.   No fuss.  We were all busy. This year is different, though.  My dad passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly, from a heart attack while driving home from work.  This is my first Father’s Day without Dad. I’m not going to lie – it’s rough.  […]

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All of Us Grieve After Mass Shootings

Posted on June 13, 2022 - by Samantha Ruth

Every single day, I’m seeing news of another mass shooting. It’s not okay. And more than expressing our concern about gun laws, we need to have the conversations about grief. All of us grieve after mass shootings. We are traumatized. But few acknowledge the significance of this grief, let alone address it. So we need to have the conversations. With ourselves, each other, our children. Parents all over the globe want to protect their children. For many, this means shielding them from adult topics. But when is protecting actually harming? Children Mourn a Shooting This is the world we live in. These are […]

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Can We be Free of Pain?

Posted on June 1, 2022 - by Bernie Siegel

At workshops, I frequently ask people if they would like to be free of pain, emotional and physical. If they say yes, I ask them to take my phone number so they can call me later and cancel the gift. Think about lepers and diabetics with peripheral neuropathy who are losing their limbs because they cannot feel infections or injuries. Then think about our feelings and emotions and how important it is to respond to them. I grew up with a mother whose advice about every problem was always the same, “Do what will make you happy.” She taught me […]

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The Difference Between Healing and Curing

Posted on June 1, 2022 - by Kelly Grosklags

There is a difference between healing and curing. We cannot change a diagnosis or a loss that has occurred. We cannot be sure that we will be cured. But we can take steps in healing. Healing is the ability to faces one’s fear with courage, forgive oneself and others, and express love. As we do this, we strengthen our spiritual life and learn to accept support. Healing is always possible. This does not mean the disease has been cured. Rather, it means we are able to accept the diagnosis and receive support. Unfortunately, many people define their life story by […]

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Messages From My Deceased Wife

Posted on June 1, 2022 - by Bernie Siegel

I cannot deny since my wife died, a little over two years ago, my experiences have been incredible. The first experience was a call from a former patient and mystic two days later. She said had a message from an opera singer that Bobbie was fine and with family again. My wife’s mother was an opera singer. Next, I began finding pennies everywhere. We began calling pennies from Heaven. I knew that my wife was involved somehow. The pennies appeared in places where I saw no pennies an hour before. I found pennies on the floor, in our bed, and […]

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Change, the Unwanted Gift

Posted on June 1, 2022 - by Bernie Siegel

My wife died 10 days before I wrote these words. What I know I have lost is her physical body, and it makes me feel emptier than I have ever been. We were married for 63 years. At the same time, I have the sense that she’s still with me. What do I mean by that? I mean that her humor, beauty, love and spirit are still beside me and will never be lost by me. As many wise authors note, love is immortal and makes all things immortal. The bridge between the land of the living and the land […]

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Finding Your Inner Grief Guide

Posted on June 1, 2022 - by Bernie Siegel

Finding My Inner Grief Guide Many years ago, I attended a workshop to enhance my ability to empower my cancer patients to recover. We were taught about imagery and asked to close our eyes and visualize what the physician described to us. He wanted us to find an inner grief guide. I had no belief in what he discussed, so sat with my eyes open looking at him on the stage. When he looked at me and could see I wasn’t following his directions, I closed my eyes to trick him. That’s when interesting things happened. I am an artist […]

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My New Girlfriends: Pets and Grieving

Posted on June 1, 2022 - by Bernie Siegel

I can’t help but reflect on how caring and wise my family’s animals are. My wife died a little over two years ago, and I have remained at home with our 4-legged children who are wonderful companions. I find that pets and grieving are a good combination. They are caring and, in my case, they try to fill in as much as possible for my wife. My wife and I shared a queen-sized bed for many decades. I have kept it just the way it was when she was lying beside me. I have had so many mystical and wonderful […]

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