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Don’t Give in To Despair

Posted on September 5, 2019 - by Catherine McNulty

An excerpt from Catherine McNulty’s book, The Gifts of Grief. I encourage you to be strong. Christina Rasmussen said, “Life after loss is choosing to start over when you would rather not.” I want to encourage you to stop hiding from the grief that has come to you. Hold on to my promise that gifts are coming into your life through this grieving process. Grief is not something you need to fall victim to and you don’t need to tell yourself that there is nothing you can do now. Take the time you need to grieve, but when you are […]

Returning to ‘Single’ after the Loss of a Spouse

Posted on August 31, 2019 - by Peggy Bell

Excerpt from Life After Loss For Widows: Lifting the Veil of Grief I remember this one incident so well. A little over a year after losing Randy, I was enrolling for an upcoming retreat at our church. I had gone in the afternoon. The church was open for those who wanted to drop in and sign up. There was no one there when I went. I started filling out the paperwork. Then I got to the part that asked me to circle my marital status. The choices were: “M” for married, “S” for single, or “D” for divorced. At that […]

A Southern Baptist Family’s First Cremation

Posted on August 31, 2019 - by Tracey Wallace

By 2040, they say more than 80% of Americans will be cremated. Also, more than 53% of us choose that over burial. And while for some this may seem normal and natural, for others, like my Southern Baptist family, this is a huge shift. On July 2, 2015, my stepfather had a massive heart attack while driving back to work from his lunch break. He pulled over to the side of the road, and died. It would be hours until we could find him, given he’d chosen a route on a backcountry road rather than a highway. His death sent […]

How to Become a Grief Warrior

Posted on August 31, 2019 - by Catherine McNulty

To survive the loss of a child takes strength, tenacity, and perseverance. If you’ve lost a child, you know it is the hardest thing you may ever face. Watching my son take his final breath was a debilitating experience that shattered my world and left me wondering if I could physically survive the intensity of so much pain. Every moment without him was a struggle for my own survival. I didn’t know if I could do it. I didn’t know how to live my life without him. I didn’t want to live without him. I was hopeless and in despair […]

Widowers Need To Step Out of The Shadows and Into the Light of Day

Posted on August 31, 2019 - by Herb Knoll

Grieving men are misunderstood. And for a good reason. After all, men don’t believe they have permission to grieve in the first place. When a man experiences a loss, they frequently resort to their primitive behaviors, suggesting to those who will listen, “I’m fine,” Oh really? Is that why you sit in front of your TV, endlessly watching programming you have little to no interest in watching, frequently falling asleep in your darkened home, and your half-finished pre-fab frozen dinner resting on your belly. Is that how you define “fine?” I can relate. For months following the passing of my […]

Suddenly This Summer

Posted on August 23, 2019 - by Carol Henderson

On the evening of July 4th, 2019, I was sitting with my daughter Olivia and my son-in-law Patrick on their small New York City apartment terrace. In the far distance, the sky brightened in smudges of pastels as the fireworks boomed. Olivia said in a hushed voice, “I just wonder, where is she? Where is Stella?” She was talking about her dog, her soulful pet/baby Stella, an abused rescue Bichon-mix Patrick and Olivia had saved nine years ago. The little white dog was utterly devoted, followed Olivia around the apartment, spent hours, days, on Olivia’s lap, and whimpered when either […]

Finding Hope After Substance Abuse

Posted on August 23, 2019 - by Carlos Davila

Drug and alcohol addiction is a serious problem that affects everyone in one way or another. Because addictive substances provide temporary but powerful feelings of euphoria or happiness, even casual misuse can quickly progress to full-blown addiction. Alcohol and certain kinds of drugs can provide relief for people who struggle with mental health issues and a variety of physical issues. Addiction is a chronic condition with ongoing consequences, including grief. Grief influences people on all sides of an addiction scenario. People who may specifically struggle with addiction-related grief include: People with an addiction Parents and families of people who struggle […]

Coping When Your Best Friend Prematurely Ends Their Life

Posted on August 13, 2019 - by Alexis Schaffer

When we lose someone we love, there are a lot of thoughts and feelings that flood in and overwhelm us. Dealing with the shock of it all can send anyone spiraling and unsure of what to think, feel, or do next. Suicide is something that affects everyone in that person’s life. Everyone who cared about them is left struggling to understand why. They also have to figure out how to process their grief and determine what the next step is. We can’t do it alone though, and there are many resources and people available to help us through this trying […]

Celebrations of Life, Funerals, and the Need for Ritual

Posted on August 13, 2019 - by Greg Adams

When I was growing up and someone died, we spent a lot of time at the funeral home. Between the ages of 10 and 12, both of my maternal grandparents died along with a maternal uncle. My memory is that for each there were two evenings of public visitation at the funeral home followed by a funeral on the third day. For each occasion, the dead body was present and available for view (at least before the funeral service began). It was a lot to take in for a young boy and, I expect, for the older members of […]

Open to Hope in the News!

Posted on August 13, 2019 - by Heidi Horsley

We appreciate all the talented people who make Open to Hope such a fulfilling place to work. Over the years, we have had so many people give their time, energy, and skills in assisting us with help those who are grieving and need support. Although some stay with us, others go on to pursue other passions. We love following their journeys and celebrating their successes. Recently, we received an article that appeared in The Press Sentinel about our recent Columbia University intern, Mallary McGahee. Gloria and our staff trained her and quickly had her feeling like part of our team. […]