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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Widow’s Wedding Anniversary Brings Flood of Memories
September 1, 2012
The anniversary of our anniversary is the hardest of all. We would be married 29 years by now. I think we would have made it through all that life still had to throw at us. But life had other plans. I looked at our wedding photos today, our faces bright with youth, hope, love; family and friends wishing us a great future; the expectation of growing old together taken for granted. We politely placed a slice of fresh, creamy cake into the other’s mouth, reflecting the respect and admiration we would hold for each other in the years to come. […]
Life’s Transitions, Friendships, and the ‘Widow Infection’
August 31, 2012
I feel like I’m in a period of transition, which is not unusual for me. It’s really not unusual for anyone like me, and by that I mean a woman in her 30s This year, I will be turning 36, which means that if I were in elementary school, it would be perfectly okay to round up to 40. But I’m not in elementary school, so it’s not okay. I don’t mind being in my 30s because I’m starting to recognize it for what it is and I think lot of my friends are as well. This is the time […]
Former Widower Reviews ‘Go On,’ TV Show About Widower
August 19, 2012
I don’t watch a lot of TV. With five young kids and four books in various stages of completion, I don’t have the time or energy to commit to the boob tube. But with Marathon Girl glued to the Olympics for two weeks (about the only time she watches TV), I kept seeing the promos for the new Mathew Perry show “Go On.” The subject matter of a recent widower trying to move on was enough to entice me to put down the pen for 30 minutes and see if the show was worth watching. Much to […]
The Widow Time Zone
August 18, 2012
I’m writing this late at night on purpose. Or maybe I’m not. I don’t know. Right now I’m in Widow Time Zone (WTZ). WTZ comes as a surprise to us all. I know this because I’ll be sitting at my computer just typing away when an email will come in at 1:00 in the morning and I’ll respond to it. Hey, Widow Chick! Just wanted to see if you could help me with ____ or if you could read the following ____ or if you could just let me know if I’m crazy. As soon as my email pings, […]
Why Some Women Start Dating Soon After Husband’s Death
August 10, 2012
I have been confused by many things in my life. But I would say that, by far, the thing that has confused me the most is being comforted by a boyfriend while I cry about my husband. Yup. That’s a doozy. I would imagine that it’s confusing for him as well. I mean, if my husband were here…my boyfriend wouldn’t be. So it’s got to be a little difficult to say to me, “I’m so sorry he’s gone” because if he wasn’t we would have never met. But since he’s my best friend, too, that’s what he says. And he […]
Private Drive: Visiting the Home Where Husband Died
August 1, 2012
Today, I took a short cut through a long memory. At the last minute I turned left at the light, thinking I would avoid the heavy afternoon traffic and face a piece of my past. I drove down the hill, Southland Park and the swimming pool to my right. The hot, humid day brought out the summer vacation crowds. Bright towels and small swimsuits dotted the chain-link pool area. SUVs and vans packed the parking lot and lined the narrow side streets. My family and I used to walk to the pool to cool off, and then reheat on the way […]
Still Unsettled, Years After Husband’s Death
July 29, 2012
Years ago, I thought I’d be settled by now. I thought I’d have found my way. I thought, well, I thought. I imagined. I had no idea how life would be, so I thought it’d be different by now. The slate was blank again and plans were erased. It was up to me to figure out which direction to head, but here I sit many years later feeling unsettled…still. This is not to say I haven’t moved toward something. I have. I have come along way from the night when I watched him die. I have moved through the moments […]
newly widowed
July 14, 2012
I am reaching out. I would like to hear experiences of others who started this journey of grief. Were you able to find face to face groups to meet with?
Finding Space After Spouse Loss
July 13, 2012
When my husband passed away unexpectedly in his sleep one night in February of 2009, my life was turned up-side-down in an instant. Chaos ensued for the next few weeks like never before. When I came out of the fog and looked around, it felt like I was so alone. I was a widow at 39 years old. I didn’t know anyone who was a widow at my age. It was mind-numbing looking toward the future without my husband. Over the next few months, and now years, I rebuilt a life with my two young children that fit us. We […]
