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 3,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.
SORT BY RELATIONSHIP
The Quiet Work of Healing After Loss
June 2, 2026
Grief Changes You – Awareness Helps You to Rebuild Loss changes you. It’s natural to feel lonely and unsure when someone important is no longer there. When depression that follows loss is part of the picture, everything can feel heavier and harder to move through. For a long time, that weight can feel constant – like you’re moving through fog. Separation can also create a space you don’t recognize, but it can also help you see yourself without old patterns or expectations. That distance can feel uncomfortable at first, but it is often where something begins to shift. You start […]
Sibling Loss: Why Surviving Brothers and Sisters Are the Forgotten Grievers
May 14, 2026
Surviving siblings are sometimes called the forgotten grievers. Brothers and sisters lose their oldest witness, their playmate, the keeper of their childhood — and the world too often expects them to be the strong one. Here’s why sibling loss is uniquely complicated, and 7 ways to honor your grief.
Mother’s Day After Loss: 9 Compassionate Ways to Cope with Grief on a Tender Holiday
May 10, 2026
Mother’s Day after loss can feel like an emotional minefield. Whether you’re grieving your mother, a child, a sibling, or anyone you love, here are 9 compassionate, therapist-tested ways to cope with grief on Mother’s Day, honor your person, and find a quiet thread of hope on a tender holiday.
The Things You Loved Most
April 28, 2026
Have you ever lost someone close, and in the brain fog of grief, wondered if you might forget some of the things you loved most about them? Their infectious belly laugh, extravagant generosity, or maybe their unconditional love for people? I get it. Since losing several of my closest and favorite family members- my beloved Mom, Dad, Nana, sister-in-love, Kay, and most recently, my “splendiferous” (his word) brother Mike, I’ve been trying to dig deep and remember exactly what it was that made each of their lives so memorable and magnificent. What if you could be the […]
Corry Chaplin: Wild Words, Wounded Hearts: Writing Through Grief and Isolation
April 23, 2026
Feeling isolated during your grieving process,; consider joining Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley as they welcome guest Corry Chaplin. Following the loss of her father, Ms. Chaplin’s sister died by suicide. She is the founder of Wild Words for Grief, an online community that provides mindfulness practices, journaling opportunities, and live sessions to support individuals coping with grief. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Corry-Chaplin_-Wild-Words-Wounded-Hearts-Writing-Through-Grief-and-Isolation.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Grief Doesn’t End: My Brother’s Birthday and the Pain of Secondary Loss
March 26, 2026
Monday is my brother’s birthday, and he has been gone for almost four years. I have been more emotional for weeks, and I didn’t even realize it; it hit me like a brick wall the other day. Grief is crazy like that; how it can just come in and take over like a bad storm, and you don’t even realize it. Today I got a text from his wife, in a group chat with my other brother and his wife. Asking “Is the plan still on for Monday?” I was personally unaware of any plans for Monday. So, I had […]
Skating for My Beloved Sisters
February 26, 2026
Skating is a sport I shared with my beloved sisters. When we were young girls, we proudly carried our skates in plaid bags and raced to be the first ones on the ice. Margie, my older sister, the most talented, Jane, the youngest, was athletic, and I, the middle sister, a bit of a klutz. Little did I know that skating would become the chord that would bind me, honor, and remember, and forever find peace and joy with my sisters. Throughout my life, somehow the ice called me, a pull I never quite understood, my happy place, where […]
Annie Sklaver Orenstein Always a Sibling: Navigating the Unseen Journey of Grief
February 5, 2026
Looking for grief support? Join Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley and their guest Annie Sklaver Orenstein, whose brother Ben died in 2009 during military service in Afghanistan. Annie shares her insights on sibling grief and is the author of Always a Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner’s Guide to Grief. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Annie-Sklaver-Orenstein_-Always-a-Sibling-Navigating-the-Unseen-Journey-of-Grief.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Memories and Messages. Merry Christmas from the Other Side
January 3, 2026
Christmas had always been a special time for me. The anticipation of Christmas day – decorating the tree and house, buying presents, beautiful food and spending time with family. But over time, Christmas has lost its sparkle. While I still appreciate the day with people I love – it no longer holds the same energy as years before. The excitement has been replaced more with a time for reflection and a longing for times gone by. Grief has woven her darkness through the tapestry of life with my brother Carl’s passing after a car accident, precious pets transitioning, and long-term […]
