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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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From Woo-Woo to Whew: Why I Embrace the Possible Fiction of Fate

Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Joni Sensel

Embracing Fate I don’t own a supply of tinfoil hats or a treasured collection of saints’ fingernail clippings. (And yes, for me the two are equivalent, though I respect your right to draw the line elsewhere.) But I do believe in fate, or at least in a universe where our one-way perception of time is illusive. Wait—don’t throw tomatoes just yet! I know “it was meant to be” is one of the more horrible phrases others sometimes say to those of us who’ve suffered loss. I get it; there’s no comfort there. But I have found comfort in related ideas, […]

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10 Ways to Generate Joy on a Difficult Day

Posted on March 3, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

Sometimes we have very little energy, time, or inner resources to do things that will help us feel better. This list was created to assist you with simple ideas for feeling better on a difficult day. ‘Cause that’s when we need these methods the most! All of these methods are demonstrated by research in psychology to be effective. What can you do today to feel good? Celebrate something small.  Take deep breaths.  Step outside.  Visualize a pleasant experience.  Put a social event on the calendar.  Listen to upbeat music.  Light a candle or burn incense.  Write a gratitude letter.  Smile.  […]

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5 Simple Ideas to Get Through a Difficult Day

Posted on March 3, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

This list is excerpted from FEELING Good: 35 Proven Ways to Happiness, Even During Tough Times Get outside. Spending just 5 minutes outside can elevate mood and help you get through the day. Go outside for a few minutes during your lunch break.  If you can get outside and spend some time in nature, that will have even more of a powerful impact. (Ch. 2 Get Outside in Nature). Do something that brings you joy. Have something to look forward to at the end of the day. Get together with or plan a phone call with a good friend. Read a […]

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From Grief to Gratitude

Posted on March 3, 2022 - by Meghan Smith Brooks

From Grief to Gratitude “I am still grieving my son’s loss as if it happened yesterday.  A bright part of my life is forever extinguished. I have come to realize that the grief I feel will never go away but become something I just learn to live with. I ache for him every year on his birthday, every Christmas, when I see someone who looks like him, or something that reminds me of him. On the anniversary of his death, I am taken back to the day his brother called and said, ‘Mom, Justin is gone, they found his body […]

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Understanding Grief is a First Step

Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Phil Rich

Grief is an inevitable part of life. Philosophical musings about life and death probably don’t help much, and you may be finding that the support and comfort offered by family and friends isn’t helping you work through the pain you’re feeling. So what can help?  First, it can help to develop an understanding of the grief process that most people in your situation experience. Even though every loss is unique, and each person irreplaceable, there are some common phases to the mourning process. If you understand these “stages” of grief, you’ll see that you aren’t alone in your confusion, turmoil, […]

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Our Loved One’s Possessions

Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Phil Rich

There’s more to your loved one than you can write in a short biography or character sketch. As you recollect the person after their death, think about your loved one’s possessions and activites. Recreational or fun activities, the choice of clothing, or the kind or photographs and pictures put up around the house. These are things that are indirect representations of your loved one. They are the mirrors of your loved one’s life – the things that captured his or her essence. That’s why a favorite briefcase, an old stuffed animal, a much-read book, or a collection of comic books […]

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Does Talking About Grief Help?

Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Phil Rich

Does talking about grief help? Any time you pick up a book that deals with psychology or self-improvement, or you listen to a therapist, you hear the idea that it’s important for you to express your feelings and put your thoughts into words. Why? Talking about things that bother or affect us doesn’t change a thing in the world around us. In fact, it’s not at all unusual to hear people ask, “What is the point of talking about ‘it,’ if talking about it doesn’t change it?” It’s not that self-expression – talking about grief – changes the world. It […]

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Boycotting the Grief Olympics

Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Greg Adams

Boycotting the Grief Olympics Mostly, we humans love comparisons and competition. Around the world, there are competitions going on all the time. Who bakes the best cake, spells the most words, designs the best product? Perhaps nowhere is competition more focused and organized than in sports. Who runs the fastest or jumps the highest? Or who puts the bouncy ball more often through the metal hoop, in the back of the net, across the goal line, or over the net and in the court? And winter brings even more creativity with skies, skates, sleds, and brooms and stones (search the […]

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Writing Condolence Letters Can Heal the Writer

Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Barbara Redfield

Writing Condolence Letters My father was a Man of Letters. During his years at Princeton, he was head of the Press Club where he was able to supplement his scholarship money by reporting on Ivy League sports to the NY Herald Tribune and the Associated Press. He served as a combat correspondent in the Marine Corps during World War II. He carried a rifle and a typewriter in the invasions of Saipan and Titian and spent three days in a raft after his ship was hit by a kamikaze. I remember when he came home. He got off the train […]

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Grief Doodling Can Help You Heal

Posted on February 4, 2022 - by Harriet Hodgson

What is Grief Doodling? “Is it straight?” asked the activities director. She was hanging 21 pictures I contributed to a retirement community art exhibit. The pictures are doodle art, a combination of doodling, comics, and folk art. I turned to this art form when I was caring for my husband, John. My husband was dying. John knew it and I knew it. We rarely talked about his impending death because we’d talked about almost everything during 63 years of marriage. I’m a freelance writer and John was my biggest fan; I wanted to keep my career going for John and […]

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