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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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Healing Grief Through Nature

Posted on July 18, 2021 - by Michelle Kaisersatt

The Cancer Diagnosis At thirty wonderful years of marriage, my husband and I were revisiting the honeymoon stage. Kids enjoying their own adult lives, and us looking forward to adventures on the road – riding motorcycles and camping around the country. Then “Stage 4 Colon Cancer” was spoken. I am not the first in the world to deal with the emotional rollercoaster ride one experiences when a loved one is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. We put on our “Super Warrior” shield,  celebrating the ups, and standing strong and positive in the downs, while capping our own emotions. Not long […]

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Suicide Sucks

Posted on July 9, 2021 - by Jenny Landon

Funeral After a Suicide April 29, 2016— Minneapolis, MN After what had been a week of gray, rainy, cold days, it felt amazing to feel the sunshine again. It should have been a day to rejoice, to be outside listening to the children play on the nearby playground; and yet I found myself sitting in a chapel staring down at a picture of what appeared to be a happy man. Suicide sucks. I looked at his picture and felt the pain his family must be feeling as we prepared to say our final goodbyes to him. He was a son, […]

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Grieving During a Pandemic

Posted on July 9, 2021 - by Harry Barry

How does one go about grieving during a pandemic? The Covid pandemic has destroyed the fabric of our personal, social, working and community lives. So many lives have been lost. So many families left devastated with the loss of loved ones, whether parents, grandparents, siblings, even on occasion children. Over 600,000 lives in USA alone have been taken by this cruel, uncaring virus. No country has been left untouched by Covid, including my own beloved Ireland. So much grief, pain and emotional scarring left in its wake. Not to mention the countless others who died during this pandemic from other […]

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From Married to Widowed: Can You Know How I Feel?

Posted on June 14, 2021 - by Gary Sturgis

From Married to Widowed Shortly after the death of my spouse, I was filling out a form at the bank. One of the questions was what my “status” was. In the past the answer was “married,” but now I was being asked to check the “widowed” box. I could not bring myself to check the “single” box because in my heart I had not yet gone from married to widowed. So, I did what any normal griever would do in that situation: I started to cry. The teller asked me if I was okay. Did I need anything? The response […]

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‘Why Me?’: Surviving Partner Loss

Posted on June 14, 2021 - by Gary Sturgis

Daily Reminder of Surviving Partner Loss   I was at the post office picking up the mail a couple of weeks after my loss. It was always such a painful experience since Rob was dead but continuing to get mail. Each envelope and package addressed to him was a gentle reminder of my loss.   An elderly neighbor came in and told me how sorry she was for my loss. She said, “Don’t worry about it. You’re young. You’ll meet someone else.” At the time I was still so raw in my grief and could not imagine such a thing […]

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My Recovery From the Death of Our Child

Posted on June 14, 2021 - by Lily Dulan

I once stood at what looked like the gates of heaven — bathed in golden light.  The Angels and I were having some sort of serious discussion. It was all very peaceful while I was there. Coming back was a different story. Thrust from that place, I awoke to my husband’s screams. “Lily wake up, Kara isn’t breathing!” The terror still grips me as I type this. The nightmare had begun. Our infant daughter had been ushered through heaven’s door and I was locked out. At two months old, she passed to the other side and I was shot back […]

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8 Ways to Find Comfort When Grieving

Posted on June 1, 2021 - by Faith Wilcox

Find Comfort When Grieving Have you ever thought you’d find comfort again when grieving the death of a child? Has grief left you bereft, feeling that relief is beyond your grasp? I felt this way after my fourteen-year-old daughter Elizabeth died from a rare pediatric bone cancer. Grieving left me weak. I was almost paralyzed, barely able to do simple activities like grocery shopping, making meals, or reading. It was as though the way that my mind and body functioned was overtaken by a debilitating force too strong for me to resist. I simply collapsed, unable to find needed strength. […]

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Moving Forward After a Profound Loss

Posted on June 1, 2021 - by Linda Zelik

Moving Forward is Possible With any profound loss, there isn’t a timetable for recovery. Moving forward is an individual thing, both in how it’s done and how long it takes. I have some suggestions to make this difficult journey a little easier. Although there is no such thing as “getting over” losing a child, it is possible to achieve a “new normal.” Naturally, you will never stop loving or remembering your beloved child, but trust me when I say it is possible to achieve happiness again. Don’t forget that there are other loved ones in your life, some of whom need you. I […]

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Healing a Broken Heart After A Child-Loss

Posted on June 1, 2021 - by Linda Zelik

Although each person’s journey after a child-loss is unique, I hope to make yours a little less painful by sharing the following suggestions that helped me in those early devastating years as I was healing a broken heart. Therapists Can Help With Healing a Broken Heart Don’t be hesitant or embarrassed to pursue a professional counselor. Seeing a good therapist can be helpful for the entire family. I encourage any bereaved parent or sibling to consider this. My medical doctor diagnosed me with “complicated grief disorder.” This means that the painful emotions after a loss are so severe that the […]

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How To Tame the Grief Monster

Posted on June 1, 2021 - by Linda Zelik

Taming the Grief Monster Having been a bereaved mother for over ten years years, I am now able look back and see how I was able to get from, “I don’t think I can survive this all-consuming pain” to “I will always love and miss my son, but the memories and joy of having him for 24 years now outweigh the pain of losing him.” Trust me, you too can tame the grief monster. Traversing through profound grief after losing a child will undoubtedly be the most difficult thing you will ever have to do. Unfortunately, there are no quick […]

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