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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 7,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.

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3 Ways to Foster Strength and Resilience

Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

First Way to Foster Strength The first way to train yourself to foster strength is to induce relaxation on demand. Being able to shut off the negative thinking going on in your brain is an important skill that helps you begin to relax. This is a skill that takes practice, but you can learn. The more you practice relaxation exercises when you are feeling calm, the more familiar they will feel, and the more effective they will be when you are experiencing anxiety. When you engage in relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing and meditation, you are quieting your mind, […]

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Cultivating Hope During Difficult Times

Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

Hope for Better Days What do you do when it seems like everything is going wrong? What can you do when it feels like you’ve got too much burden to bear and can’t go on? How can you possibly cope when you’re experiencing profound grief?​ Hope. Hope for better days ahead.​ Fostering Hope There are many benefits to fostering hope, whether you’re going through a difficult time right now, or not.  And it IS possible to foster hope, even if you’re in the midst of profound grief. In fact, that’s when you need hope the most. Sometimes it feels like […]

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Board Games Connect Us to Siblings

Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Judy Lipson

A Passion for Board Games At a recent conference I attended, one of the presenters shared her passion for board games. This sparked a memory of my beloved sisters Margie, Jane and I. Rather than ignore, suppress or forget, a smile came to my face. Memories I thought were lost bubbled to the surface. Growing up, my sisters and I spent time playing downstairs in the basement with the black and white linoleum floor. A closet housed the board games. I can envision the shelves packed with Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, Operation, Mousetrap, and Twister to name a few. […]

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Honoring Our Beloved Siblings

Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Judy Lipson

Honoring our Siblings How we honor our siblings is personal. It may be a poem, song, fundraiser, inner thoughts, private moments, or a visit to the grave site. For me, it has been a decade of an ice-skating fundraiser, Celebration of Sisters, that ended on November 7th, the fortieth anniversary of the death of my sister Jane. Ten years of marking the memories of my beloved sisters Margie and Jane, shared with others in a sport we all shared as girls. As a private person, not only talking about sisters, but the shy middle sister getting out and performing in […]

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The Ebb and Flow of Grief

Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Brandi Reyna

Eleven Years Later If you would have told me 11 years ago, when I first lost my fiancé Greg a few weeks before our wedding day, that I would be living a full life –  healthy and functioning – I would not have believed you at that time. Losing your soulmate suddenly in a car accident without the ability to say goodbye or I’ll see you in Heaven when he was still alive is something I will always be working through. Sure I got to say goodbye to his physical body but not to his soul. My faith is what […]

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From Woo-Woo to Whew: Why I Embrace the Possible Fiction of Fate

Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Joni Sensel

Embracing Fate I don’t own a supply of tinfoil hats or a treasured collection of saints’ fingernail clippings. (And yes, for me the two are equivalent, though I respect your right to draw the line elsewhere.) But I do believe in fate, or at least in a universe where our one-way perception of time is illusive. Wait—don’t throw tomatoes just yet! I know “it was meant to be” is one of the more horrible phrases others sometimes say to those of us who’ve suffered loss. I get it; there’s no comfort there. But I have found comfort in related ideas, […]

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10 Ways to Generate Joy on a Difficult Day

Posted on March 3, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

Sometimes we have very little energy, time, or inner resources to do things that will help us feel better. This list was created to assist you with simple ideas for feeling better on a difficult day. ‘Cause that’s when we need these methods the most! All of these methods are demonstrated by research in psychology to be effective. What can you do today to feel good? Celebrate something small.  Take deep breaths.  Step outside.  Visualize a pleasant experience.  Put a social event on the calendar.  Listen to upbeat music.  Light a candle or burn incense.  Write a gratitude letter.  Smile.  […]

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5 Simple Ideas to Get Through a Difficult Day

Posted on March 3, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

This list is excerpted from FEELING Good: 35 Proven Ways to Happiness, Even During Tough Times Get outside. Spending just 5 minutes outside can elevate mood and help you get through the day. Go outside for a few minutes during your lunch break.  If you can get outside and spend some time in nature, that will have even more of a powerful impact. (Ch. 2 Get Outside in Nature). Do something that brings you joy. Have something to look forward to at the end of the day. Get together with or plan a phone call with a good friend. Read a […]

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From Grief to Gratitude

Posted on March 3, 2022 - by Meghan Smith Brooks

From Grief to Gratitude “I am still grieving my son’s loss as if it happened yesterday.  A bright part of my life is forever extinguished. I have come to realize that the grief I feel will never go away but become something I just learn to live with. I ache for him every year on his birthday, every Christmas, when I see someone who looks like him, or something that reminds me of him. On the anniversary of his death, I am taken back to the day his brother called and said, ‘Mom, Justin is gone, they found his body […]

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Understanding Grief is a First Step

Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Phil Rich

Grief is an inevitable part of life. Philosophical musings about life and death probably don’t help much, and you may be finding that the support and comfort offered by family and friends isn’t helping you work through the pain you’re feeling. So what can help?  First, it can help to develop an understanding of the grief process that most people in your situation experience. Even though every loss is unique, and each person irreplaceable, there are some common phases to the mourning process. If you understand these “stages” of grief, you’ll see that you aren’t alone in your confusion, turmoil, […]

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