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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Grief Guilt
May 13, 2024
Grief Guilt is about Loss of Control Guilt is, in my humble opinion, one of the most prevalent emotions during grief, and one that many grievers seem to come back to again and again. Feelings of guilt stem from an overwhelming desire to be in control of something that’s uncontrollable. Your mind isn’t yet ready to accept that your loss is real; it tries to push off the overwhelming sadness that’s coming by longing for things that can’t be changed. Some people stay stuck feeling guilt for a long time, spiraling downward into a sea of “What ifs” and “I […]
Creating a Loss History
May 13, 2024
Creating a Loss History The first place we need to start is the past. We’re going way back—as far back as you can remember—and dredging up any experiences that may have helped shape your awareness of grief. “But Brooke, whyyyyyyyyy would you want me to dig up all of the depressing things in my life when I’m already feeling depressed?” you might ask. Well, because I like to torture you, of course. Seriously, though, the reason is that our earlier experiences with loss shape the way we currently process it. You learned things from significant events in your life. Perhaps […]
Practicing Gratitude in Grief
May 13, 2024
Practicing Gratitude in Grief OK, OK. Before you throw lasagna in my face, let me just assure you that this section is not going to be full of toxic positivity and the rah-rah crap that makes grieving people want to vomit. What I am going to do is share how I, personally, have employed gratitude practices throughout my grief journey to help me feel just a little bit lighter, a little more hopeful, and a little less griefy. (Is that a word?) It turns out that practicing gratitude is scientifically proven to help shift our vibes in a more positive […]
Create Meaning Through Ritual
May 13, 2024
Create Meaning Through Ritual Creating traditions, rituals, and ceremonies that celebrate your person is the shit. Seriously. It’s the opposite of the get-over-it and move-on mentality. Instead, by celebrating the existence of the person we lost and including details of their personality and passions in traditions that honor their legacy, we create meaning that makes us feel whole again. I mean, if your person is anything like my daughter, they’re fucking amazing and deserve to be celebrated! Remembering what made my daughter special fills the void created by her absence. Whether it’s lighting a candle during holidays, visiting a grave […]
Meghan Riordan Jarvis, MA, LCSW Regulating Your Body After Loss
May 9, 2024
Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and Meghan Riordan Javis, LCSW psychotherapist and grief informed expert for ideas on regulating and recognizing normal grief responses. She is a podcaster and author of “The End of The Hour” and “Can Anyone Tell Me Why: Essential Questions About Grief and Loss” published with Sounds True Media. She also conducts a grief writing workshop “grief mates”. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/content.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/Meghan-Riordan-Jarvis-MA-LCSW-Regulating-Yourself-After-Loss.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Envision a Future after Grief
May 6, 2024
Envision a Future after Grief What do you want your future to be? I realize that this question, to someone in the deep, dark midst of grief, is a terrifying—even agonizing—one. Remember that Jerry Maguire-esque mission statement I told you about? I wrote it a month before my daughter Libby died, after losing my shit one day trying to be a full-time working wife and mother. At the time, I was utterly exhausted trying to be ALL THINGS to ALL. THE. PEOPLE while never letting anyone down. I felt like I was failing miserably at everything, and I had no […]
Why Routines Help When You’re Grieving
April 29, 2024
Why Routines Help When You’re Grieving Think of your favorite comfort food, the coziest blanket you own, or the pleasure of consuming a warm cup of hot chocolate before bed. All these things make you feel better, right? They’re like big, squeezie hugs (as Libby would say) because they are familiar. And it’s this familiarity that makes routines so amazing. They’re like a comforting, dependable embrace during times of grief. Knowing simple things like when you’re going to wake up in the morning, what you’re going to eat, and that you’re going to take a walk each Thursday with a […]
Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn’t Have To)
April 22, 2024
Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn’t Have To) is available on Amazon. Learn more on Brooke’s website.
Returning to Work after a Major Loss
April 22, 2024
Returning to Teach after a Major Loss Every day, walking back into my classroom was an immense challenge. For those unfamiliar with teaching—imagine performing in a theater, five days a week for five hours a day. It’s absolutely draining. And when you’re battling grief, it feels impossible. My colleagues were amazing, but there’s only so much that can be done to ease such a profound pain. Going through all the “firsts” without Libby—her birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the anniversary of her passing—in front of a room full of eighth-graders who are kids with raging hormones about thirteen or fourteen years […]
