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.
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Dealing With the Suicide of a Spouse
September 8, 2008
Larry from Virginia asks: I am angry at my wife and angry at God. My wife shot herself after receiving the news that she had been fired for a drinking problem. How do I deal with the fact that my pastor says, “God does not give more than we can endure?” Some days I feel like jumping off a bridge but I have two boys to raise. Any advice? Abel Keogh, author of the memoir, Room for Two (Cedar Fort, 2007), responds: I’m so sorry to hear about your wife’s suicide. My heart and prayers go out to […]
His Death Shattered Me — How Spouse Loss Affects Us Physically
August 29, 2008
When Steve died several years ago, I felt so lost… He’d been diagnosed six month earlier, but for each of those days, I kept expecting (and praying) that a miracle would happen, that he’d bounce back as he’d always done when he’d encountered acute health crises earlier, and that soon we’d be back on our path, living our dreams. His death shattered me — I felt as if I’d been jolted with thousands of amps of electricity, as if all the connections in my brain had been disconnected. My body felt like it was falling apart. I was convinced that […]
Life Is About Adapting to Change
August 24, 2008
The one thing that certain in this life, aside death and taxes, is change. Businesses have to change to survive. Markets, attitudes, tastes, and buying habits of customers are constantly in flux. If a business doesn’t adapt to shifting market conditions and offer its customers what they want, it goes out of business. At halftime, football teams must adapt their offence and defense based on what they’ve seen from the opposing team or else they’ll lose the game. Our own lives are constantly in flux. Every day brings changes we have to deal with. Most of the changes we deal […]
A Companion on Your Grief Journey
August 18, 2008
I became a widow when Steve, my husband of 20 years, died from esophageal cancer. With one daughter in college and the other finishing up high school, along with a new, highly demanding job, I felt so unequipped to deal with all the emotions, feelings, and tangible aspects of grief. When we lose someone we love, especially a spouse, whether it was expected (for example, after a long illness), or unexpected (such as after a tragic accident or sudden illness), there really doesn’t seem to be much of a roadmap we can follow to negotiate the twists and turns ahead. […]
Susan Hawkes: 9/11 and the Death of a Husband
August 14, 2008
Susan Hawkes’ story was made into a movie after the death of her husband in one of the planes that flew into the World Trade Center on 9/11. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/Susan-Hawkes-090105.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
When the Memories Come Without Pain
August 13, 2008
When I look back on our life together, there are many memories that are told and retold, and to me it seems further evidence of healing for myself and my children. The memories are there and fondly told, with a smile and reminiscent grin, without the pain that was once associated thinking of a loved one no longer there.
Learning to Live Again, One Step at a Time
August 4, 2008
When I think back to those dark days following the death of my late wife and daughter, I always return to an early January morning a week before my twenty-seventh birthday. In the months following their deaths, it became routine to awaken at 5:00 a.m. and go for a four mile run. It wasn’t easy. I’d awake five minutes before the alarm clock beeped and stare at the dark ceiling and contemplate the two choices I faced every morning: Stay in bed or go running. Staying in bed was the easy option. Under the covers it was warm and a […]
For Widows Only — Three Secret Things To Guide You
July 25, 2008
You’re home now — From the cemetery — Just closed the door on an endless line of well-wishing-filled-with-advice strangers who didn’t know what to say but talked endlessly anyway, and now that they’re gone you know you will never see or hear from most of them ever again. Your hair smells of roses and gladioli and you secretly wish for a giant eraser to erase all the pain. You’ve just buried your life partner; your husband, your best friend. As Joan Didion says, “Life changes fast.” He’s gone now and like it or lump it, you’re not. You stand before […]
Luellen Hoffman: Special Dreams After the Death of a Loved One
June 19, 2008
Luellen Hoffman shares her book and the dreams people have experienced after the death of a loved one. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2008/06/Luellen_Hoffman_061908.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
