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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Herb Knoll: Navigating Widowhood and Relationship
March 21, 2024
Feeling bereaved and lonely? Join Dr. Gloria Horsley and her fiancé Dr. Frank Powers for a candid discussion on the challenges and triumphs of widowhood and relationships. They are joined by Herb Knoll, founder of the Widowers Support Network (WSN), a global ministry focused on healing hearts and supporting men who have lost their spouse or life partner. Herb, a podcaster and author of “The Widower’s Journey: Helping Men Rebuild After Their Loss,” shares insights on rebuilding and finding connection after loss. After the loss of Dr. Gloria Horsley’s husband, getting back in the game was hard, but she realized […]
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Cleaning Out the Closet of a Deceased Loved One
March 13, 2024
Cleaning Out the Closet With the longer days of summer upon us, it might be the right time to tackle the organizing of your spouse/partner’s personal belonging. “Cleaning out your closets” presents a significant challenge for most widows – the overwhelming thought of going through your deceased loved ones belongings and trying to decide what do with the items is by far one of the hardest pieces of widowhood. When referring to “cleaning out the closets,” it is not just the bedroom; it includes the home office, the work office, the garage, the basement and the pile of papers that […]
How I Surrendered to the Grief of Losing My Husband
March 9, 2024
The Grief of Losing My Husband On February 4, 2009, I woke up to find that my husband had died in his sleep from an undetected heart condition. He was forty-nine years old. I was thirty-nine. It was the biggest shock of my life. The first two hours were a blur of emotion, pain, fear, shock, and denial. The next two and a half years have been a lesson in living life much more openly, deeply, and presently. In the immediate aftermath of his death, I discovered I had two choices. I could either surrender to what had happened, or […]
Widower Ponders What to do With the Ring
March 6, 2024
What Do I Do with the Ring? Eight months after my wife Lisa died of cancer, I sat in our bedroom staring at my gold wedding band, the symbol of our love and marriage that I still wore. I didn’t want to let go. I didn’t want my marriage to end after only 8 years, and the thought of removing my ring plagued me with guilt. Yet, I knew that I had to remove my ring. I had to admit that at age 40, I was a widower with two young sons to raise. My ring is a symbol of […]
Five Years into Widowhood, Life Goes On
February 20, 2024
Five Years into Widowhood I still can’t believe that he is gone, and perhaps I never will. And that’s all right. I never thought that I would be alone, and in my mind, I know that being alone is the hardest thing that I will ever have to do. If you have lost the love of your life, then you know what I am talking about. You confront the same unbearable pain and heartbreak each day as I do, and you too have loneliness as your constant companion. It has been five years since Eddie died. My friends and family […]
International Day Of Hope And Healing After Loss Conference Candle Lighting
February 7, 2024
Alan Pedersen is an award-winning speaker, songwriter and recording artist. His inspirational message of hope and his music have resonated deeply with those facing a loss or adversity in their lives and have made him one of the most popular, in-demand presenters in the world on finding hope after loss. Since the death of his 18-year-old daughter Ashley in 2001, Alan has traveled to more than 1,500 cities speaking and playing his original music. Alan also successfully served four years as the Executive Director of The Compassionate Friends, the largest grief organization in the world. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/content.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/International-Day-Of-Hope-And-Healing-After-Loss-Conference-Candle-Lighting.mp3Podcast: Play in new window […]
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After Life
February 7, 2024
The International Day of Hope and Healing after Loss is a free online experience brought to you by the Open to Hope Foundation with the mission of helping people find hope after loss. Our expert presenters have generously donated their time, talents, and advice to share with you. On this panel are: Elizabeth Boisson, Moderator – Gary Schwartz, Ph.D., Dr. Mark Pitstick, Lenore Matthew, and Ph.D., Mark Anthony. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/content.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/After-Life.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Paul Dennitson: Healing Grief Yoga
February 7, 2024
Paul Denniston is the founder of Grief Yoga® and the author of Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment. The mission of Grief Yoga is to use movement, breath, and sound to release pain and suffering to connect to empowerment and love. Grief Yoga combines many different forms of yoga to channel and release anger to allow unresolved grief a compassionate space to breathe and move. His gentle work creates a safe space of movement and healing to transform trauma and connect to the resilient loving warrior within. Paul has taught and trained this practice to thousands of therapists, counselors, […]
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Ron Villano – 5 Tips on How to Embrace Change in Your Grief Journey
February 6, 2024
The Open to Hope Foundation Day of Hope and Healing welcomes; Ron Villano, MS, LMHC, ASAC, CCH. He is a leading expert in working through change. As a father who lost his 17-year old son over 25 years ago, he always speaks from the heart as his bereavement journey continues. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, he works with others on how to work through difficult times. He is the founder and director of Family & Personal Counseling which has five offices in the greater Long Island Area, and offers in-office and telehealth sessions throughout New York State. And as […]
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