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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8 Ways to Find Comfort When Grieving
June 1, 2021
Find Comfort When Grieving Have you ever thought you’d find comfort again when grieving the death of a child? Has grief left you bereft, feeling that relief is beyond your grasp? I felt this way after my fourteen-year-old daughter Elizabeth died from a rare pediatric bone cancer. Grieving left me weak. I was almost paralyzed, barely able to do simple activities like grocery shopping, making meals, or reading. It was as though the way that my mind and body functioned was overtaken by a debilitating force too strong for me to resist. I simply collapsed, unable to find needed strength. […]
Moving Forward After a Profound Loss
June 1, 2021
Moving Forward is Possible With any profound loss, there isn’t a timetable for recovery. Moving forward is an individual thing, both in how it’s done and how long it takes. I have some suggestions to make this difficult journey a little easier. Although there is no such thing as “getting over” losing a child, it is possible to achieve a “new normal.” Naturally, you will never stop loving or remembering your beloved child, but trust me when I say it is possible to achieve happiness again. Don’t forget that there are other loved ones in your life, some of whom need you. I […]
Healing a Broken Heart After A Child-Loss
June 1, 2021
Although each person’s journey after a child-loss is unique, I hope to make yours a little less painful by sharing the following suggestions that helped me in those early devastating years as I was healing a broken heart. Therapists Can Help With Healing a Broken Heart Don’t be hesitant or embarrassed to pursue a professional counselor. Seeing a good therapist can be helpful for the entire family. I encourage any bereaved parent or sibling to consider this. My medical doctor diagnosed me with “complicated grief disorder.” This means that the painful emotions after a loss are so severe that the […]
How To Tame the Grief Monster
June 1, 2021
Taming the Grief Monster Having been a bereaved mother for over ten years years, I am now able look back and see how I was able to get from, “I don’t think I can survive this all-consuming pain” to “I will always love and miss my son, but the memories and joy of having him for 24 years now outweigh the pain of losing him.” Trust me, you too can tame the grief monster. Traversing through profound grief after losing a child will undoubtedly be the most difficult thing you will ever have to do. Unfortunately, there are no quick […]
Dr Richard Dew: Looking at God and Grief
May 27, 2021
Are you questioning your relationship with god? Join Dr. Richard Dew, father of murdered son Brad, in a faith based discussion of coping with loss. He is the author of When Sorrow Comes: What can god, you and others do to help cope with grief. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dr-Richard-Dew-Looking-at-God-and-Grief.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Claire Willis: Grief An Invitation to Grow
May 13, 2021
Are you looking to find your way from loss to peace? Buddhist Chaplin Clare Willis will give you ideas and practices to help you navigate the grieving process. She is the co-author of, Opening to Grief: Finding Your Way from Loss to Peace https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Claire-Willis-Grief-An-Invitation-to-Grow.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Janice Nadeau: Finding Balance Inside and Outside After a Loss
April 29, 2021
Janice Nadeau, Ph.D, is a psychologist, marriage and family therapist, nurse and author of Families Making Sense of Death. She has been active in the loss and grief field for over three decades, is the recipient of ADEC’s Outstanding Clinical Practice award and is a member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement. You can find her at: http://drjanice.net https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Janice-Nadeau-Finding-Balance-Inside-and-Outside-After-a-Loss.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Discovering Lifelines While Grieving
April 20, 2021
Lifelines can rescue you after the death of a loved one. I understand this firsthand. Why? Because my thirteen-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, was treated for one year for a rare pediatric bone cancer, and despite her valiant battle, she died in my arms 365 days after her diagnosis. After Elizabeth’s death, I nearly drowned in grief. My first lifeline was tossed out to me by family and friends. They held me, comforted me, brought me meals, and sometimes simply sat by my side listening to my keening cries. They drove me to appointments when I was too weak to drive, walked […]
Finding Your Way From Loss to Peace
March 31, 2021
The ending of this “story” is happy…. There is joy to be found in realizing that long-held, shame-filled, buried grief, however painful, can be uncovered, looked at, handled tenderly, shared, and brought into the light for healing. It’s never too late. —Hannah, age 80, writing about a deep and painful secret. Secret Grief from Early in Life A friend recently asked me if I would help create a service of remembrance to help her 80-year old mother, Hannah, heal a secret grief she had carried for 60 years. Hannah told me that she became pregnant at 19 and contracted German […]
