Open to Hope Articles

Articles Home

The Wisdom of Grief: Healing Through the Dark Emotions

Posted on July 11, 2022 - by Miriam Greenspan

The Wisdom of Grief It is said that when someone we love dies, a part of us dies too. In my experience, it is not a part but the whole—the self we’ve known is all at once shattered. This is how it was when Aaron gasped his last breath on the ICU. Holding his body in death, I was both a mother and not a mother. Expiring in my arms, he was set free, released from the prison of plastic tubes and electronic monitors that attached him to his life. For the first time since the moment of his birth, […]

When a Spouse Dies Suddenly: Two-Week Game Plan

Posted on July 8, 2022 - by Kristin Meekhof

When a Spouse Dies Suddenly What do you do when your spouse dies suddenly? First, contact medical or other authorities. Then call a friend, neighbor, or relative to be with you as soon as possible. As other loved ones arrive, have someone stay with you as much as possible. Call your doctor and advise him or her of your loss. You might need a prescription to calm your nerves and help you sleep. Making Funeral Arrangements If you and your spouse had preplanned funeral services, contact the funeral home or the memorial society. If not, decide on a memorial service […]

Mantras for Mourning: How to Coexist with Grief

Posted on June 29, 2022 - by Sara Striefel

Mantras for Mourning Two and a half years after my mother’s death, I still discover unexpected ways in which grief opens my heart. I am learning that grief, while painful and disorienting at times, can also offer opportunities for profound growth and fresh awareness. It still hurts, often. But I have chosen not to wall myself off when the ache bubbles up. The trick is learning how to coexist with grief so that I can continue to be present and heal. My family recently spent three glorious months on the beaches of Costa Rica. We explored and played and bathed in […]

Uvalde Murders Trigger Grief

Posted on June 27, 2022 - by Lo Anne Mayer

Uvalde Murders Trigger Grief Ever since our daughter died in 2005, I have experienced heartbreak each time I learn of other children who have died. My own awareness of the depth and breadth of grief links me to each person who has lost a child, whether that child is a policeman, a soldier, or an 8-year-old. I now know that grief is a wound that takes years to heal. The senseless killing of the children in Ulvade brings out the motherhood of all human beings. These murders trigger grief for so many. We want to cradle the children and hug […]

Helping Children After Mass Tragedies

Posted on June 20, 2022 - by Bob Baugher

Children Shocked by Mass Tragedies In 1963, it was the assassination of a president. In 1986, it was the explosion of the Space Shuttle witnessed by millions of children on TV. September 11, 2001, was the terrorist attack. For the past 20 years it has been school shootings, the most recent in Uvalde, Texas. Each of these shocking events thrusts our children into the face of death in a sudden and graphic way. Imagine that you are a ten-year-old child. Kids your age were killed as they innocently sat in their classroom. Many questions spring to your young mind: “Am […]

Remembering Dakota: Sibling Loss and Its Impacts

Posted on June 14, 2022 - by Skye Page

Brother Died Before I Was Born When was the first time I learned about death? I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know about it. Hi, I’m Skye, and I was born two years after my oldest brother, Dakota, died from medulloblastoma, a brain tumor. That’s right, my brother died before I was born. So it’s true when I say I was born understanding death. Most young people don’t have to deal with so much loss in their family. It’s had a huge impact on my life, causing pain but also giving me strength and understanding in the realm […]

Grieving Children, Teens Have All the Feelings

Posted on June 13, 2022 - by Greg Adams

Grieving People Have All the Feelings Sometimes a death impacts a school or community organization, like a church or Boy Scout troop. A child or teacher dies, and I am invited to facilitate a one-time grief support discussion with children or teenagers. It’s a very condensed experience. I start with establishing rapport and gradually (but also quickly) move into talking about death in movies and books, the difference between grief and mourning, and the person who died. We start with the person and their life because while their death and how they died was very important, even more important is the […]

Getting Through my First Father’s Day Without Dad

Posted on June 13, 2022 - by Brooke Carlock

‘You No Longer Have a Dad’ I never did much for my dad on Father’s Day. We didn’t have any particular traditions to mark the occasion. It was the same for birthdays and anniversaries – both his and mine. Sometimes we sent cards and phoned to say, “I love you.” Other times we went out to dinner. No fuss. We were all busy. This year is different, though. My dad passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly, from a heart attack while driving home from work. This is my first Father’s Day without Dad. I’m not going to lie – it’s rough. […]

All of Us Grieve After Mass Shootings

Posted on June 13, 2022 - by Samantha Ruth

Every single day, I’m seeing news of another mass shooting. It’s not okay. And more than expressing our concern about gun laws, we need to have the conversations about grief. All of us grieve after mass shootings. We are traumatized. But few acknowledge the significance of this grief, let alone address it. So we need to have the conversations. With ourselves, each other, our children. Parents all over the globe want to protect their children. For many, this means shielding them from adult topics. But when is protecting actually harming? Children Mourn a Shooting This is the world we live in. These are […]

Can We be Free of Pain?

Posted on June 1, 2022 - by Bernie Siegel

At workshops, I frequently ask people if they would like to be free of pain, emotional and physical. If they say yes, I ask them to take my phone number so they can call me later and cancel the gift. Think about lepers and diabetics with peripheral neuropathy who are losing their limbs because they cannot feel infections or injuries. Then think about our feelings and emotions and how important it is to respond to them. I grew up with a mother whose advice about every problem was always the same, “Do what will make you happy.” She taught me […]