River of Hope

05/12/2026

The journey of grief can be easily compared to the difficult process of putting a shattered clay pot back together: It can't be rushed; Sometimes some help or extra outside support is needed; the scars and some holes will always remain. But healing is possible. And in the end, a stronger, more resilient product (person) will emerge.

03/03/2026

Enjoyed expressing our grief through art tonight

12/09/2025

Our luminary Christmas meeting is always so special.

07/03/2025

Come say Hi to River and see some amazing fireworks tonight at our table at Red White and Boom!

03/04/2025

Did a cool science experiment with food coloring, milk, and soap to illustrate how easily our emotions can suddenly react unpredictably to any small stress! Controlling our reactions in a season of grief is hard, but feeling safe to talk it out is helpful!

12/10/2024

Can't say it any better!

12/10/2024

Beautiful night of remembering our special people we miss so deeply. This group of "friends" know what love is, and support each other as, together, we experience the pain of grief.

10/29/2024

For River of Hope's 5th anniversary, we made tie-dye t-shirts. Each shirt is unique, even if it was created with similar techniques and colors. Tie-dye is a great analogy to grief. Just like the shirts, no two grief experiences are alike, and even if the the circumstances are very similar, the grief journey can be very different, but with other areas that look quite similar. And just as the colors blend, often beyond any control we try to have over them, grief is a mash-up of many emotions that often mix together in ways that we never expect. And a shout out to these brave souls for being willing to model their creations

08/08/2024

Hard work...

07/25/2024

Grief is a hard road...don't go it alone

“Grief is not linear. People kept telling me that once this happened or that passed, everything would be better. Some people gave me one year to grieve. They saw grief as a straight line, with a beginning, middle, and end. But it is not linear. It is disjointed. One day you are acting almost like a normal person. You maybe even manage to take a shower. Your clothes match. You think the autumn leaves look pretty, or enjoy the sound of snow crunching under your feet. Then a song, a glimpse of something, or maybe even nothing sends you back into the hole of grief. It is not one step forward, two steps back. It is a jumble. It is hours that are all right, and weeks that aren't. Or it is good days and bad days. Or it is the weight of sadness making you look different to others and nothing helps.”
― Ann Hood