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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 Grieving to Grateful

Posted on October 10, 2021 - by Meryl Beck

From Grieving to Grateful After losing five-year-old Ryan in 1993 to viral encephalitis, Tina Zarlenga discovered that giving back would actually save her.  It started with something simple: volunteering to print mailing labels for the monthly Compassionate Friends newsletter. It was the beginning of her move from grieving to grateful. Eventually, after recalling the kindness of a stranger to her son on his fifth birthday, Tina found a new sense of purpose. She organized a Christmas toy drive for Cleveland Metro Hospital, where Ryan had passed. Hundreds of new toys were collected by Tina, her family, and friends, which they […]

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Journey into Grief Brings Wisdom

Posted on October 10, 2021 - by Meryl Beck

Marla Grant, a grief recovery specialist, speaks on her intentional journey into grief: Looking back over the years, I can see that by comparison to many, my life has been uncommon. I have outlived three of my five children. That’s a rare and harsh experience. Yet the real surprise is that I am at a loss to call this a tragedy or to assign myself the appellation “bereaved parent.” I am not the victim of a harsh, capricious world in which divine blessings are bestowed on some, while trial, cruelty, and loss are given to others. I am the architect […]

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Five Common Pet Loss Grief Myths

Posted on October 10, 2021 - by Wendy Van de Poll

Would you like more support with your pet loss journey? Are people saying things to you that don’t make sense or feel supportive? If so, it is important to consider the common pet loss myths on your healing journey. We have many pre-conceived ideas as to what death is about and how we “should” react to it or dread it. No matter where you are with your beliefs, it is important to approach these myths with an openness and willingness to heal. The key to making these myths help you is to be aware of them, know how you feel about […]

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Writing Poems Can Heal

Posted on October 7, 2021 - by Mike Bernhardt

Writing Poems Can Heal Grief When grief overwhelms us, when someone whom we love more than life itself has died, we may feel that we have no words to describe the enormity of it, the excruciating pain we feel. But writing poems can heal. At first, though, there may be only the racking sobs, or the quiet numbness. But often, the words are there. We just don’t know how to speak them in a way that someone else can understand what is in our hearts. Or: we know what we want to say but we don’t trust that others will […]

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A Life While Grieving

Posted on September 19, 2021 - by Michelle Kaisersatt

I see my four-year-old self, crouching beside my dad. Observing my younger sister lying on the grass. Her lips blue. Hair wet. Dad trying desperately to breathe in life. This is the beginning of my life while grieving. I hear uncontrollable sobbing from my classmates. Grieving the loss of our fellow student, killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of twelve. I feel my hands gently rubbing my father-in-laws’ feet, only hours before he passes from our presence. My Life While Grieving I observe giant generators attempting to illuminate the night of an otherwise eerily dark and silent town. […]

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‘Surrendering in Hope’: Allowing Grief to Unfold

Posted on September 8, 2021 - by Paul Coleman

‘Surrendering in Hope’ There is a difference between giving up in despair —“I can’t do this anymore!”— and surrendering in hope —“I can’t do this anymore by myself.” Surrendering in hope is not giving up, it is looking up. It’s a willingness to ask for help. It is allowing what you cannot control to unfold in its own way and time. It is the recognition that the unseen world can support you in the seen world. When you are unwilling to tolerate unexpected events or ambiguity, you are not free. You are imprisoned by the need to know and the […]

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Transcend Grief

Posted on September 8, 2021 - by Paul Coleman

Higher Realms of Awareness Is it possible to transcend grief? All of your stressful emotions exist at the lower-self level of limited awareness: shame, despair, anger, hate, jealousy, guilt, anxiety, and fear. At the higher realms of self, we experience the deep and enduring emotional states of compassion, love, joy, forgiveness, gratitude, and peace. At a higher realm of awareness, you can still dearly love some who has died because true love endures. Transcend Grief True love transcends the physical. It transcends the ego. It transcends grief. True love even transcends time and space. Intellectually, you understand that the concept […]

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Get a Grief Buddy

Posted on September 8, 2021 - by Harriet Hodgson

Get a Grief Buddy Many grief books and articles say it’s important to tell your story. Indeed, telling your story is a forward step on the healing path. And one way to improve the odds of that happening: Get a grief buddy. Grieving people need to tell our stories so we can come to terms with reality. When we can tell our stories without sobbing, we are making progress. What are the benefits of telling our stories? According to the Grief Recovery Center website, telling our stories helps us to become familiar with the stages of grief, find support, and […]

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Make Peace with Loss

Posted on August 30, 2021 - by Paul Coleman

What is a peaceful heart?  To make peace with loss you must cultivate peace in your heart. This is a challenge when your heart is broken. But it is achievable. We are meant to make peace with loss. A peaceful heart: 1.      Seeks simplicity, where life is not driven by either deprivation or accumulation. 2.      Lets go of anxieties and false beliefs that we cling to as life preservers but that are actually fear preservers. 3.      Knows that the things let go will cost little, that peace is incompatible with a need to cling. 4.      Looks within itself, without judgment. […]

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Finding Peace of Heart

Posted on August 29, 2021 - by Paul Coleman

We often make the mistake of attributing our lack of peace of heart to conditions out of our control—a world in turmoil, a relationship that has ended, or a hope thwarted. But peace of heart is an inside job. It happens within regardless of what is happening without. The heroic heart cultivates gratitude even in the midst of suffering. It finds glory in the inglorious, beauty in the less than beautiful. It accepts life’s ups and downs, heartaches, disappointments, and inevitable losses. Inner peace is not just “feeling better,” but a deep sense of lasting contentment. It is a sweet […]

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