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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Maintaining Friendships After a Spouse-Loss
June 28, 2011
I’ve been thinking a lot about friendships lately and how they change and I know that’s also on the minds of many of my widow(er) friends out there. I guess it’s that time of year…when friends and family seem to get together more than usual, so friendships and how they change are pretty much “in your face” right now. This is something I’ve wanted to write for a long time, but I wanted to write it very carefully. I don’t ever want to come across as someone who doesn’t understand or who dismisses how hard widowhood can be. Believe me…I’m […]
In Widow’s World, Living With Purpose is Hard
June 7, 2011
I was really good at living with intention before my husband died. I was good about doing things with good reason and being thoughtful, even purposeful, about what I did and how I did it. I had the luxury of more time to think through my decisions and even more important I think, I had someone to share those decisions, reasons, and purpose with. I think for me, it felt more intentional with a witness near. Since widowhood began, I have been through many phases, stages, whatever we might call them. One of the stages I have the most difficulty […]
Widow Learning to ‘Just Be’
May 30, 2011
It’s funny about how you meet that special someone in your life at the most unexpected time. I was getting my hair cut and colored one day without any thought other than, I really, really need to have my roots colored. Picture this, a woman sitting in the hair salon chair with her hair sticking up as if she had stuck her finger in an electrical socket. Now come on, this is supposed to be a place where you can look your worst so that you can look your best – right? The woman who cuts and colors my […]
My Experience With Hospice Care
May 20, 2011
When the man that you have been married to for 35 years, and whom you love with all of your heart and soul, is gravely ill, you are numb and filled with heartache like you have never felt before. I went from a confident woman able to make important decisions to a woman who was lost, alone, and unsure of even the simplest thing. I no longer trusted my judgment – my world had been devastated, and I was emotionally and physically exhausted. So, when I was asked to make a decision about in-hospital hospice care for my husband, all […]
Edie Stark: Widow But Not Widowed
May 13, 2011
Edie Stark & Dr Gloria C. Horsley , the topic is widowed, but not a widow
Returning to the Hospital Stirs Fears, Hopes
May 10, 2011
I recently experienced a personal milestone that may not seem like much to the outside world. But it’s something that I know other widows who are trying to navigate this road will understand. I went to a doctor’s appointment with someone I have been dating to find out whether he was really sick…or just in excruciating pain. The appointment wasn’t IN the hospital but it was in an office within a block of the hospital, an area I’ve avoided for the past 4 years, since my husband died. The good news is that the doctor believes that what they had […]
A Sudden Truth: Living After the Death of Your Spouse
May 6, 2011
Losing a spouse is one of the most emotionally grueling experiences an adult can go through. The deafening emptiness of your home without your partner, the realization of dependency on your spouse, and the loss of everything that you once shared with—companionship, a friend, a person to turn to for advice—these are hard pills to swallow. For women, especially mothers, this is an unbelievably difficult change in their lives. Being suddenly left to raise the children alone and having to be the sole breadwinner for her now incomplete family is a hurdle many cannot fathom. As you grieve, however, you […]
Life is What You Make It
May 4, 2011
Carl Mathis’ book, Life is What You Make It, is available on Amazon.com.
