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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Giving Back After Coping with a Loss: Interview with Dr.Janna Henning
September 6, 2018
At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Dr. Janna Henning about her losses and how she went on to help other people the way she helped herself. Getting into the field of death and dying was influenced by Janna’s own loss experience. At the age of 21, Janna was in a car accident where her best friend died. Six months later, Janna’s partner was killed in a similar accident. For Janna, having those two loss experiences in her 20’s influenced her way of understanding loss. When Janna later entered the field of psychology it […]
To The Widow Struggling With Guilt
September 3, 2018
On the outside, the world sees you hurting from the loss of your spouse. They don’t know; however, that in addition to the “normal” feelings of grief, you’re also struggling with guilt. You blame yourself for not insisting that he see the doctor when his cough got progressively worse. You beat yourself up for not seeing beyond his reassurances that he was “okay”. Perhaps you had a fight before he stormed out of the house and you wished you’d chased after him. Or, if you’re like me, you carry the burden of not getting on an earlier flight. Regardless of the circumstances, […]
Herb Knoll: Widower’s Network
August 23, 2018
Herb Knoll was known as a man who could get the job done. But when the former bank president and author lost his wife to cancer he found few resources. The more he learned about the plight of widowers the more he became motivated to write a support book. He is the author of The Widower’s Journey and leads the Widower’s Support https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Herb-Knoll-Widowers-Network.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Episode 140: Who Grieves Harder After Spouse Loss Men Or Women
August 7, 2018
On this show Dr. Heidi Horsley explores with bereaved spouses, John Polo and Lisa Kolb, the challenges and issues related to the death of a spouse. Contemporary issues such as blogs and online dating are discussed. John is the author of the best selling book Widowed. Rants, Raves and Randoms. Lisa is a food writer and ex-assistant district attorney for the Bronx.
Widowers – Forced to Live in the Shadows
July 4, 2018
When asked, few people can name even one man who has been widowed. But given a few moments for additional consideration, many are likely to say, “Oh wait a minute, I do know one. He lives down the street or works with me at my office.” When I presented this same question to a friend of mine, he failed to recall how his own father was widowed. I find this stunning. Few Americans can name more than one U.S. president who was widowed, yet over one-third of the Presidents of the United States have experienced the loss of a spouse […]
Sunrise of Hope
June 7, 2018
“I want people working through grief to know they are strong, capable, resilient human beings who have the strength to survive the death of their spouse and find themselves again—maybe even for the first time.” -Diane Dettmann After the death of my husband in 2000, my world as I knew it splintered into tiny pieces. Everything in my life changed including myself. I wanted my life back the way it was. I hated the new world I was thrown into and fought the changes imposed on me. I missed our evening visits over a glass of wine after a long day […]
Every Single Breath
May 7, 2018
The 17th anniversary of my husband’s passing was on my mind in the days leading up to it. Some years, it slipped by me without much notice. Other years, the day brought me to my knees and threatened to be the undoing of me. Grief is like that. This year, I saw it coming. Ticking and tocking it’s way ever closer. How do I want to honor my late husband this year? This is the question I often ask myself. But this year, a dear friend had a different question for me. “What’s one cherished moment you’d like to share […]
My Big Widow Regret: Find Your Tribe
May 7, 2018
At 32 years old, instead of planning my first wedding anniversary celebration, I was planning my husband’s funeral. There were no warnings, no time to say a final goodbye. One day he was here and by the following morning, he was gone. It’s been six years since that fateful day when my world collapsed around me. Some days I marvel at the person I have become post-loss and other days I feel saddened by the person I have become as a result of widowhood. As fiercely independent as I now am, I miss the naivety of my old life, where […]
Life After Loss the Afterwards
April 23, 2018
On February 11th, 2018 it was nine years since my husband, Marty, passed away. I saw a post on Instagram the other day which took my breath away because the words define “the afterwards” of life after loss. Ode to The Afterwards “Grief is not a task to finish and move on, but an element of yourself. An alteration of your being. A new way seeing. A new definition of self.” Up until the last year of my husband Marty’s life, I had been working as a businesswoman in the corporate world. Luckily, the Universe handed me the gift […]
