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	<title>Open to Hope Foundation</title>
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	<link>http://www.opentohope.com</link>
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		<title>Open to Hope Foundation</title>
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	<itunes:summary>Are you suffering from loss? Feeling alone? Looking for hope? Join Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley, bereaved parent/sibling on their weekly Open to Hope Internet radio show. The Horsleys are founders of Opentohope.com and international experts on finding hope after loss. Their personal journey and the stories of their guests will inspire you and motivate you to again embrace the life that you have been given.</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:keywords>grief, healing</itunes:keywords>
	<itunes:category text="Health" />
	<itunes:category text="Health">
		<itunes:category text="Self-Help" />
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	<itunes:category text="Kids &#38; Family" />
	<itunes:author>Open to Hope Foundation</itunes:author>
	<itunes:owner>
		<itunes:name>Open to Hope Foundation</itunes:name>
		<itunes:email>admin@opentohope.com</itunes:email>
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		<item>
		<title>The Boogie Man Isn’t Real, but Fear Is</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-boogie-man-isn%e2%80%99t-real-but-fear-is</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-boogie-man-isn%e2%80%99t-real-but-fear-is#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:18:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kim Meredith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44169</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You can’t see it. You can’t touch it. But the sensation of fear is very real. It is overwhelming and makes us do things that we would not normally do. When our confidence is shaken and we are thrust into a different personal direction, we naturally get a bit scared and unnerved. It is a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-boogie-man-isn%e2%80%99t-real-but-fear-is/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Moving on from an Unhappy Situation</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=moving-on-from-an-unhappy-situation</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=moving-on-from-an-unhappy-situation#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:34:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carl Mathis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carl mathis.open to hope]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moving forward]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unhappy life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43987</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When there are issues about past occurrences in your life, we know that letting go is easier said than done. And this is especially true for people who lost a love one, or someone who they care about. The problem is, most people use these everyday responsibilities and the issues they face every day to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=moving-on-from-an-unhappy-situation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Accepting What We Cannot Control</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=accepting-what-we-cannot-control</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=accepting-what-we-cannot-control#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:08:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44164</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Control yourselves!” How many times did my little brother and I hear that from our parents growing up? As we got older, no one expressed those sentiments to us because we had somewhat “learned” as children to control ourselves through parents, schools, jobs and relationships. I think there has to be some sort of balance [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=accepting-what-we-cannot-control/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Listen To The Children</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=listen-to-the-children</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=listen-to-the-children#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christine Duminiak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44149</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Children have a special ability to see and hear from our deceased loved ones. Those of you, whose children have experienced this beautiful phenomena, if you believe them, you will find enormous comfort in knowing that your loved ones in Heaven continue to watch over you, and especially your children. The connection and love continues [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=listen-to-the-children/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Can I Receive a Sign or Message?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-can-i-receive-a-sign-or-message</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-can-i-receive-a-sign-or-message#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:53:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Mulligan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When grief and pain are your daily companions, you have questions. We all ask many questions after a loved one dies. We want validation of and answers to these questions. This uncertainty is a part of our grief process but can there be comfort or relief in this process. We remember the close bond with [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-can-i-receive-a-sign-or-message/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Year Offers Opportunities for Healing</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-year-offers-opportunities-for-healing</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-year-offers-opportunities-for-healing#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:52:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carla Blowey</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44099</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since our son&#8217;s death 21 years ago, I&#8217;ve observed or ignored New Year&#8217;s Day in a variety of ways depending on how hopeful I am feeling at the time. It&#8217;s probably not so different from anyone else facing the challenge of a loss, but for me, bringing in the new year on the 31st always [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-year-offers-opportunities-for-healing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Winter&#8217;s Day in Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-winters-day-in-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-winters-day-in-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:44:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44156</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today the ground is covered with last week’s snow and the air is a frigid 29 degrees below zero. There is no pretending winter is not here. Admittedly some people thrive in the winter. It is just their time of year. But for many the long winter months take a toll and contribute to feelings [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-winters-day-in-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Seeing Signs of Deceased Son</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=seeing-signs-of-deceased-son</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=seeing-signs-of-deceased-son#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:43:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ron Villano</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44144</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a public speaker and radio/TV show host, many people have asked me if I have ever &#8220;seen signs&#8221; of my son&#8217;s presence. It may seem like a simple question, but when you really start to think about it, the answer is very complicated &#8212; in a simple way.  Yes. I &#8220;see signs.&#8221; Early in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=seeing-signs-of-deceased-son/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Serious Personal Illnesses After the Death of a Child</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=serious-personal-illnesses-after-the-death-of-a-child</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=serious-personal-illnesses-after-the-death-of-a-child#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:28:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kay Bevington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44140</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At the time of the death of our child, we think and feel that our world will certainly end and we often want to die and be ‘with our children’. It does not matter if we have a wonderful relationship with a spouse, surviving children, family members, friends or a career; we just want to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=serious-personal-illnesses-after-the-death-of-a-child/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Italian Tragedy Touches All of Us</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=44184</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=44184#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:47:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard Beck</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44184</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The recent tragedy in Italy when the cruise ship sank and many people died touches all of us in so many ways. My girlfriend and I spent New Year&#8217;s on a cruise, and it was a time of joy and a experience of happiness. So too were the hopes and desires of all the families [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=44184/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>On STUGs: Subsequent, Temporary, Upsurges of Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=on-stugs-subsequent-temporary-upsurges-of-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=on-stugs-subsequent-temporary-upsurges-of-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:37:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Maureen Hunter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43973</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever come across a new word that strikes you as so good you wonder why you hadn’t heard of it before? Ive found a new grief word. STUG! Coined by Therese Rando, it just makes total sense and sounds a bit more upbeat than Grief Triggers. I’ve been STUGGED! (Subsequent, Temporary, Upsurge of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=on-stugs-subsequent-temporary-upsurges-of-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Letter to Suicide Survivors</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-letter-to-suicide-survivors</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-letter-to-suicide-survivors#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:11:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kerie Boshka</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44137</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear Suicide Survivors: You are not alone. I know it feels that way, but I can assure you that there is help. I know you feel that no one can relate to what you’re going through, that your world is hopeless, and that your life will never be worth living. I understand. I felt the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-letter-to-suicide-survivors/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>He is Missed</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=he-is-missed</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=he-is-missed#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Tidd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44130</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was at the mall alone, returning a few things from the holidays, looking at clothes that the “experts” say are in style (did anyone really perfect the poncho look?), and generally just enjoying shopping without having to worry about whether or not my kids would knock over an entire display of purses…when something happened [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=he-is-missed/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Meditation on Winter and Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=meditation-on-winter-and-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=meditation-on-winter-and-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:05:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bernie Siegel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44119</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Preparation for winter. Prepare the garden for next year by cleaning up the dead material that smothers the living and keeps it from experiencing the light and warmth of the sun. Storing the dead and dried wood of past years to warm our bodies and homes this year. The value of darkness and cold. A [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=meditation-on-winter-and-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Help Can Come from Unexpected Sources, Like Ukelele Music</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=help-can-come-from-unexpected-sources-like-ukelele-music</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=help-can-come-from-unexpected-sources-like-ukelele-music#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jan 2012 09:59:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44115</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Years ago, I heard an author say all life experiences applied to a book when he was writing it. The same could be said of grief support. When you’re grieving, you may find help in unexpected places and from unexpected people &#8212; like a professional ukulele player. Today, as I was surfing television channels, I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=help-can-come-from-unexpected-sources-like-ukelele-music/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Finding Joy After Heartbreak</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=finding-joy-after-heartbreak</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=finding-joy-after-heartbreak#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:03:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Swick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44103</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As we go through our day-to-day lives, we complain about work, kids, finances, etc. But what we keep forgetting to do is find joy every day. Not every day is a good day. Sometimes it seems like there is too much going on in life that you won&#8217;t be able to get it all done. This [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=finding-joy-after-heartbreak/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When You Want to Join Your Loved One in Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-you-want-to-join-your-loved-one-in-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-you-want-to-join-your-loved-one-in-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:43:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Elisa Medhus</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44095</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many of you have found your way to this oasis of hope by following a trail of tears. Many of you grieve. Many of you have suffered under the heavy burden of loss. You find camaraderie here. Understanding. Unity. Friendship. Compassion. But it doesn’t replace the son, daughter, lover, friend or sibling that is no [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-you-want-to-join-your-loved-one-in-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Continuing Connection with a Pet that Has Died</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=continuing-connection-with-a-pet-that-has-died</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=continuing-connection-with-a-pet-that-has-died#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:34:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Packman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pet Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44092</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Death ends a life – it does not end a relationship.&#8221; &#8212; (Anderson, 1974) When one suffers the loss of a dear, beloved animal companion, it is a profound loss and a heart-wrenching experience: “I feel like a part of me died with her. I feel a deep emptiness inside that is physically painful (bereaved [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=continuing-connection-with-a-pet-that-has-died/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Suicide Survivor Seeks Solace</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=suicide-survivor-seeks-solace</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=suicide-survivor-seeks-solace#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:27:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carol Loehr</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44088</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Suzanne, the mother of a young woman who died from suicide, gave me permission to share her article. &#8212; Carol Loehr It has now been two years (November 16, 2009) since my sweet Jessica died from suicide. Each day, I fight back the tears of her loss and try to “get on with life,” but late [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=suicide-survivor-seeks-solace/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Broken Places</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-broken-places</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-broken-places#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:23:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44085</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was watching a promotional ad on television recently for the show &#8220;Intervention&#8221; and saw a quote from Ernest Hemingway, which read: &#8220;The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” Actually, this quote is a passage from Hemingway’s novel: “A Farewell to Arms.” Hemingway was one of the great American [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-broken-places/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Daddy Died, Mommy. Are You Going to Die, too?&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=daddy-died-mommy-are-you-going-to-die-too</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=daddy-died-mommy-are-you-going-to-die-too#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:37:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne Berenberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Activities to process grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping kids talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44064</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When children lose one of their parents to death, they may worry that their other parent will die as well. This worry can also come if another person who has been very important to them (such as a grandparent) dies. What can we do to keep those worries to a minimum? We lay the first [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=daddy-died-mommy-are-you-going-to-die-too/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Can One Fear After Worst Fear is Realized?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-can-one-fear-after-worst-fear-is-realized</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-can-one-fear-after-worst-fear-is-realized#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:28:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Swick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44060</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My greatest fear has always been losing a child, and anybody that I am close to knows this. I spoke about it often, and the fear was so nagging that it ate away at my soul and wouldn’t let my mind rest. In fact, when my children were infants, I frequently had to talk myself [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-can-one-fear-after-worst-fear-is-realized/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Extraordinary Experience: Signs from Beyond</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=44056</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=44056#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:23:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Louis LaGrand</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44056</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let me emphasize at the outset that I have been trained in the scientific method and hold a dutiful respect for science. However, I have no doubt whatsoever that many bereaved people receive signs or messages from their deceased loved ones or a Supreme being that helps them deal with their losses and reinvest in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=44056/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Gardens and Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=gardens-and-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=gardens-and-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:31:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terry Jones-Brady</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44049</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you remember when I told you how I love wild violets? I love them when their little purple faces first peek up out of the ground soon after the crocuses have thrust their heads up. Crocuses emerge in their amazing way, right up through snow, surprising us with nearly forgotten promise of color to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=gardens-and-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When She Says, &#8216;I Have Cancer,&#8217; What Do You Say?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-she-says-i-have-cancer-what-do-you-say</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-she-says-i-have-cancer-what-do-you-say#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:03:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Stan Goldberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44044</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are 12 million of us in the United States who live with cancer and the number rises every year as researchers find new drugs to extend our lives. Some of us hide our diagnosis even from trusted loved ones, while others freely share it for a variety of reasons. I’m sure at least once [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-she-says-i-have-cancer-what-do-you-say/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The End of Grief: &#8216;Are We There Yet?&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-end-of-grief-are-we-there-yet</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-end-of-grief-are-we-there-yet#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jan 2012 09:45:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debra Reagan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44040</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I open the new 2012 calendar I purchased at the mall, I think about where I have been and where I am going. Is my life what I thought it would be? Absolutely not! Not since the death of my 20-year-old son, Clint, 6 1/2 years ago. After Clint died, I knew I wanted [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-end-of-grief-are-we-there-yet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cat Offers Solace in the Grieving Years</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cat-offers-solace-in-the-grieving-years</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cat-offers-solace-in-the-grieving-years#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:06:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bobbi Emel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44014</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After my partner, Ruth, died in 2004, I found solace in a most unusual source, our sixteen-year-old calico cat, Daisy. Now, I know pets are often a great source of comfort to us, but Daisy was special. She was blind. I always thought I would need to take care of her after she suddenly lost [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cat-offers-solace-in-the-grieving-years/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Creating Positive Affirmations for a New Year</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=creating-positive-affirmations-for-a-new-year</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=creating-positive-affirmations-for-a-new-year#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:59:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44010</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Losing four family members in 2007 changed my thinking. I wondered if I would survive multiple losses. More worrisome, I wondered if I would ever be happy again. It didn’t take long for me to realize I needed an attitude adjustment. Somehow, I had to turn my negative thoughts to positive ones. I began to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=creating-positive-affirmations-for-a-new-year/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;I Can’t Tell Them I’m Dying&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-can%e2%80%99t-tell-them-i%e2%80%99m-dying</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-can%e2%80%99t-tell-them-i%e2%80%99m-dying#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:54:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping kids talk]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44006</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A reader writes: I am married and the mother of three children. I have been told by my doctors that I have a rare and terminal illness. My husband and children love me and need me, and they do not know that I am dying because I cannot tell them. How can I tell the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-can%e2%80%99t-tell-them-i%e2%80%99m-dying/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Son Sends Signs that He&#8217;s Never Far Away</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=son-sends-signs-that-hes-never-far-away</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=son-sends-signs-that-hes-never-far-away#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:40:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Patrick T. Malone</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=44003</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When our second son, Lance, was born, he quickly found the middle two fingers of his right hand served his well as a pacifier. His index and little finger extended straight up on each cheek creating the “hook’em horns” symbol made famous by the University of Texas at Austin. When his habit continued as a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=son-sends-signs-that-hes-never-far-away/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Do I Handle Unexpected Troubles?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-do-i-handle-unexpected-troubles</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-do-i-handle-unexpected-troubles#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:14:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carl Mathis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carl mathis.open to hope]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unexpected trouble]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43992</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When times are troubling, how do you handle it? 1: Choose something that makes you smile and makes you happy&#8211;then think about it on a daily basis. By thinking about it, it will program into you thinking capability, which will transform into you action, as a result you attitude towards that situation will change. 2: [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-do-i-handle-unexpected-troubles/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In Widowhood, Woman Discovered her &#8216;Song&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-widowhood-woman-discovered-her-song</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-widowhood-woman-discovered-her-song#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:53:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laurel Rund</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43982</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am a woman who has been reborn in the afternoon of her life. The death of my husband of 42 years could have stopped me in my tracks. Instead, it not only took me on a journey into grief, it also took me on a journey into self-discovery. I didn’t have an answer, but [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-widowhood-woman-discovered-her-song/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Circle of Life, the Spirit of Hope</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-circle-of-life-the-spirit-of-hope</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-circle-of-life-the-spirit-of-hope#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:13:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Whitmore</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43965</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After eleven long hours of pain, there she was─chestnut brown hair, vivid blue eyes, cute pug nose, round face and full lips. She was so beautiful. It was instant love. I knew in that moment that my life would never be the same again. The circle of life had begun. The year was 1970, and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-circle-of-life-the-spirit-of-hope/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A New Year’s Hope: Prayer for Peace</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-new-year%e2%80%99s-hope-prayer-for-peace</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-new-year%e2%80%99s-hope-prayer-for-peace#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:50:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43961</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Prayer for Peace If there is to be peace in the world, There must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nations, There must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, There must be peace between neighbors. If there is to be [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-new-year%e2%80%99s-hope-prayer-for-peace/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>From &#8216;I’m Tired&#8217; to &#8216;I&#8217;m Glad&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=from-i%e2%80%99m-tired-to-im-glad</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=from-i%e2%80%99m-tired-to-im-glad#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:23:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43968</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’m tired of starting the day without you. I’m tired of waiting for the call that never comes. I’m tired of coming home to an empty house. I’m tired of sleeping alone. I’m tired of having no one to tuck in at night. I’m tired of seeing happy families. I’m so tired of feeling alone. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=from-i%e2%80%99m-tired-to-im-glad/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Nine Gifts from Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=nine-gifts-from-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=nine-gifts-from-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:33:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Maureen Hunter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43971</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It can be hard to grasp or even accept the idea that there are such things as “grief gifts.&#8221; How can we possibly believe that the experience of grief and loss will bestow any such gift? Especially when all we have now is an aching longing for that which is so out of reach. It [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=nine-gifts-from-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Finding Peace in Your Breath this Holiday Season</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=finding-peace-in-your-breath-this-holiday-season</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=finding-peace-in-your-breath-this-holiday-season#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:44:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Coralease Ruff</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43957</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like many of you, I miss my loved one this holiday season and like many others of you, I am still missing my child, my 21-year-old daughter. When we are grieving, we tend to hold our breath or take rapid shallow breaths. Additionally, our bodies secrete the stress hormone, and when the stress is elevated [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=finding-peace-in-your-breath-this-holiday-season/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A New Answer to the Question, &#8216;How are You?&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-new-answer-to-the-question-how-are-you</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-new-answer-to-the-question-how-are-you#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:09:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43884</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;How are you?&#8221; became a dreaded question. Four family members, my daughter, father-in-law, brother, and former son-in-law, died in 2007. My daughter and former son-in-law died from the injuries they received in separate car crashes. Family members and friends couldn&#8217;t believe the story and I couldn&#8217;t either. Suddenly, our twin grandchildren were orphans and my [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-new-answer-to-the-question-how-are-you/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Gift of the Blanket</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-gift-of-the-blanket</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-gift-of-the-blanket#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:55:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43936</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When my son was born, over thirty three years ago, I received a beautiful handmade blanket for him. I remember the day I received the blanket. My sister, Sandra, handed me the wrapped box. I carefully unwrapped the box, lifted the lid and slowly folded the tissue paper back. There, in the box, was the beautiful [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-gift-of-the-blanket/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Special Ornament</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-special-ornament</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-special-ornament#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:08:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kim Meredith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43911</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The four-inch light blue glass ball is always the initial ornament placed on our annual family Christmas tree. For our first Yuletide Season together, my new husband David and I travelled to my childhood home in upstate New York to be with family. We saved the money that we would have spent on a tree, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-special-ornament/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Heavenly Peace: How One Man&#8217;s Grief Journey has Taught Him Well</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=heavenly-peace-how-one-mans-grief-journey-has-taught-him-well</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=heavenly-peace-how-one-mans-grief-journey-has-taught-him-well#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:24:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ron Villano</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Co-worker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43832</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My holiday season has begun with another lesson learned along my Grief Journey. It comes with the passing of one of my friends who has done the billing in my Family &#38; Personal Counseling practice. Diana Hogan reminded me of my Aunt Rose, whom we also lost to cancer. For the first time in awhile, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=heavenly-peace-how-one-mans-grief-journey-has-taught-him-well/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Unplanned Hope</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=unplanned-hope</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=unplanned-hope#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:37:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Phil Cioppa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pastoral Support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43953</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To this day, I still do not know why I did it. I was serving as a Roman Catholic Priest then, and fell very ill the night of a wedding rehearsal. The religious sister with whom I worked offered to drive me the 25 miles to the Church where the wedding was to occur. We [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=unplanned-hope/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Christmas Grief: Tips for Enduring After a Child’s Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=christmas-grief-tips-for-enduring-a-child%e2%80%99s-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=christmas-grief-tips-for-enduring-a-child%e2%80%99s-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:43:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Mulligan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43930</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Anniversaries, birthdays, special memories and holidays intensify the pain after the death of a child. And although we may have discovered daily tools to help guide our everyday grief, December seems to require special tips and ideas to navigate the days leading up to the holiday dates. The following are some helpful ideas I have [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=christmas-grief-tips-for-enduring-a-child%e2%80%99s-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Skeptic’s Journey Through Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-skeptic%e2%80%99s-journey-through-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-skeptic%e2%80%99s-journey-through-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:34:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Elisa Medhus</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43927</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a physician with a strong science background, I used to regard all things spiritual with a jaded eye—until the recent suicide of my young son, Erik. Since then, my life has been cleaved into two parts: The Before and The After, The Bliss and The Dark Despair.   Everyone deals with grief differently. I heal [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-skeptic%e2%80%99s-journey-through-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Like a Three-Legged Dog: Adapt and Survive</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=like-a-three-legged-dog-adapt-and-survive</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=like-a-three-legged-dog-adapt-and-survive#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:31:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Anderson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43913</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My niece’s husband’s brother (got that) has a dog named Samson; he&#8217;s an enthusiastic, loving dog. Samson has only three legs. I don’t know the story behind the loss of his right front leg, but I do know he was born with four legs and lost one to an injury. Quite the fork in the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=like-a-three-legged-dog-adapt-and-survive/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Couple Use Last Six Months to Express Their Love</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=couple-use-last-six-months-to-express-their-love</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=couple-use-last-six-months-to-express-their-love#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Dec 2011 09:15:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Stan Goldberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43875</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I would sit for long periods with Jim in his kitchen when Lisa slept. He was a large man who had laid bricks his entire life, until he retired, five years before Lisa received a terminal prognosis of congestive heart failure. Unlike her husband, Lisa was very small, and, in the words of Jim, “the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=couple-use-last-six-months-to-express-their-love/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>100 Things She Misses About her Husband</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=43907</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=43907#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2011 09:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christine Thiele</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43907</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Several years ago, after much thought, I decided to create a blog that chronicled my journey through widowhood. It was my hope that by putting my thoughts and words on page one less person would feel alone on their own journey of loss. It was my hope that it would lead to healing…mine… and maybe [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=43907/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Using Loss as an Inspiration to Help Others</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=using-loss-as-an-inspiration-to-help-others</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=using-loss-as-an-inspiration-to-help-others#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:11:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brandi Reyna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42805</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On March 9, 2010, the unthinkable happened, I found myself widowed at the age of 25 when the love of my life, my soul mate, was in a car accident while on his daily morning commute to work, just two months shy of our wedding day.  Early on in my journey, I knew part of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=using-loss-as-an-inspiration-to-help-others/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Gift: Mother Finds New Connection to Daughter</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-gift-mother-finds-new-connection-to-daughter</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-gift-mother-finds-new-connection-to-daughter#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:33:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcia Gaddis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43859</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like my winter birds who come to the feeder in a variety of ways, Christmas presents come in a variety of packages. Yesterday, I arrived home to find a beautifully wrapped gift on my kitchen counter. I enjoyed just looking at it &#8211; so smartly wrapped waiting to open it with the giver. But reading [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-gift-mother-finds-new-connection-to-daughter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Seven Years Later, Coping With the Anniversary of a Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=seven-years-later-coping-with-the-anniversary-of-a-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=seven-years-later-coping-with-the-anniversary-of-a-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:09:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kelly Farley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43872</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This past November marked the 7-year anniversary of losing my sweet daughter Katie. I&#8217;m not sure what happened to the last 7 years, but they’ve managed to slip away. I know many of you are newly bereaved and probably think “7 years? I am not sure if I can make 1 year or 2 years. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=seven-years-later-coping-with-the-anniversary-of-a-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Thoughts of Holiday Gifts and My Deceased Daughter</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=thoughts-of-holiday-gifts-and-my-deceased-daughter</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=thoughts-of-holiday-gifts-and-my-deceased-daughter#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:49:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43862</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Holidays are a time of reflection and self-discovery for those who mourn.  Four years have passed since my daughter died, and I am still overwhelmed with memories at Christmas time.  Since this was her favorite holiday, I naturally think of her.  I remember the thought she put into selecting and making gifts.  I have dreamed [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=thoughts-of-holiday-gifts-and-my-deceased-daughter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Don&#8217;t Let Grief Steal Your Christmas</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-let-grief-steal-your-christmas</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-let-grief-steal-your-christmas#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:33:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Heather Arbuckle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43572</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On a cold, Sunday morning, as I was preparing to go to church, I got word from Iowa of a terrible accident. During the night, a young member of our family had been taken from us. It is the kind of turn in life that just doesn&#8217;t make sense this side of Heaven. Speaking through [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-let-grief-steal-your-christmas/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>We Never Lose the People We Love</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=we-never-lose-the-people-we-love</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=we-never-lose-the-people-we-love#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Dec 2011 09:35:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Fox</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43836</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make. Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love. &#8211; Leo Buscaglia [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=we-never-lose-the-people-we-love/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Higher Self</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-higher-self</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-higher-self#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:26:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43856</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The cushions on my chaise lounge chairs have seen their last summer. Actually, they saw their last summer last summer, but I covered the worn seats by throwing some festive old serapes across the chairs to get me through another summer with the intention of buying new cushions and chairs next spring. Unexpectedly, the snow [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-higher-self/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Father Learns How to Deal with Holidays After Daughter&#8217;s Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=father-learns-how-to-deal-with-holidays-after-daughters-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=father-learns-how-to-deal-with-holidays-after-daughters-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:11:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping men deal with loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43827</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In early grief, it is difficult to find any meaning in pain. After my daughter Jeannine&#8217;s death in 2003, the pain I experienced in early grief was raw and something that I feared. If I had a choice, I would have avoided it at all costs.  However, as I have learned, we need to work [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=father-learns-how-to-deal-with-holidays-after-daughters-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Turning a Corner?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=turning-a-corner</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=turning-a-corner#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:09:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43852</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My sister, Sandra, was murdered. I say it, I write, I think it, and still, 26 months after her death, I have moments that I can’t believe it happened. I have moments that it still seems surreal. I have moments that I ask myself, how did this happen to my sister, our family. I did [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=turning-a-corner/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grieving, She Tries to Accept the Emptiness</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-she-tries-to-accept-the-emptiness</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-she-tries-to-accept-the-emptiness#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:32:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gemini Adams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Friend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43781</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While walking my dogs this morning, I was reflecting on the fact that I have acquired a wonderful set of girlfriends who are kind-hearted, intelligent, generous and fun. Nothing unusual about that, you might think? Lots of girls have great girlfriends. However, just over a year ago, this was not the case. I was lonely, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-she-tries-to-accept-the-emptiness/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dealing with Special Days: Anniversaries, Birthdays and Holidays</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dealing-with-special-days-anniversaries-birthdays-and-holidays</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dealing-with-special-days-anniversaries-birthdays-and-holidays#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:20:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43830</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a reader: I am just 10 days away from the one year mark of my wife&#8217;s death, and the last few days have been horrible. I have that all-too-familiar feeling of dread in the pit in my stomach and I have a hard time concentrating on anything. I don’t know how to explain [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dealing-with-special-days-anniversaries-birthdays-and-holidays/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sister Honors Brother and Herself by Recovering from Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sister-honors-brother-and-herself-by-recovering-from-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sister-honors-brother-and-herself-by-recovering-from-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:03:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rebecca Guevara</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[memory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recovery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[regret]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sibling]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43725</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A surprising secret about grief is it can become like a good friend, comfortable and routine. My only sibling, a younger brother, took his life years ago and for many years, I suffered like many people do. Grief was my life, and living well enough to appear okay to others was a great effort. But [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sister-honors-brother-and-herself-by-recovering-from-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Suicide Leaves Family Struggling to Cope</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=suicide-leaves-family-struggling-to-cope</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=suicide-leaves-family-struggling-to-cope#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Dec 2011 09:14:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Yvonne Lancaster</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43777</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was the light fingernail tapping sound on the window that put my dog Minnie on high-alert. She was barking and running around in circles with her usual reliable vigilance. Before I left my easy-chair, I quickly glanced at the clock on the end-table. It was 9:05 PM. I wasn’t expecting anyone. I thought it [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=suicide-leaves-family-struggling-to-cope/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>On a Night in December</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=on-a-night-in-december</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=on-a-night-in-december#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 03 Dec 2011 09:24:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Genesse Gentry</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43733</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every year, on the 2nd Sunday in December, bereaved families around the world light candles in their own homes or with others for one hour, 7-8 P.M., in honor and memory of all children who have died. This poem explains why we do it. On a Night in December In the midst of winter and all [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=on-a-night-in-december/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Son’s Spirit Lives on in Piggy Nation</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=son%e2%80%99s-spirit-lives-on-in-piggy-nation</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=son%e2%80%99s-spirit-lives-on-in-piggy-nation#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:42:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard Rosser</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art Hope and Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43754</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On January 31, 2009, our son, Nick Rosser, was taken from us in a car accident. In the ensuing days I struggled to get out of bed. Grief drained me emotionally and physically. At the time of the accident, I was on hiatus from my job as First Assistant Director on the TV show, 24. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=son%e2%80%99s-spirit-lives-on-in-piggy-nation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Death of a Child Changes &#8216;Santa&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=death-of-a-child-changes-santa</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=death-of-a-child-changes-santa#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:42:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nan Zastrow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41824</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The hustle and bustle of the holiday season begins. Shopping carts and arms are brimming with purchases.  Early in the season, there is a sense of joy&#8211;the miracle part of Christmas when good moods prevail and everyone is wrapped up in the joyous preparation.  We become “Santa” as we plan the perfect holiday celebration. We [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=death-of-a-child-changes-santa/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tragedy Connects Us All</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=tragedy-connects-us-all</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=tragedy-connects-us-all#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:50:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42645</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had the honor of being interviewed by our local newspaper for a special section devoted to the tenth anniversary of the September 11,2001 terrorist attacks.  Eight victims had ties to my community. The surviving family members of three of these families shared their journeys for this article. I was interviewed as a “grief expert,” [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=tragedy-connects-us-all/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Normal&#8217; Grief is Unique for Each Person</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=normal-grief-is-unique-for-each-person</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=normal-grief-is-unique-for-each-person#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:06:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>KimBoo York</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Grief automatically throws us into a time of change. Some of us might regain a semblance of the life we once had, while others veer off into surprising, unexpected paths. Either way, where ever and whomever we used to be and everything we took for granted has changed. We tell people we&#8217;re &#8220;fine&#8221; mostly because [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=normal-grief-is-unique-for-each-person/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dr. Pepper Provides Sign from Beloved</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dr-pepper-provides-sign-from-beloved</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dr-pepper-provides-sign-from-beloved#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:20:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brandi Reyna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42808</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[From my own experience with losing my beloved, I have found it helpful for me to maintain a continuing bond and relationship with him. While our relationship is different than it was when he was here on Earth, I still have a strong connection with him in my heart and through the memories I carry [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dr-pepper-provides-sign-from-beloved/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Twelve Things to Remember about the Holidays and Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=twelve-things-to-remember-about-the-holidays-and-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=twelve-things-to-remember-about-the-holidays-and-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:44:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43749</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1. That I could not predict how I would feel or react at any given moment.  2. That as much as I missed my loved ones I would miss them even more during the holidays.  3. That my feelings were normal.  4. That I have a right to be sad. Someone I loved very much [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=twelve-things-to-remember-about-the-holidays-and-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>One Is Silver, the Other Gold: a New Look at Holiday Traditions</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=one-is-silver-the-other-gold-a-new-look-at-holiday-traditions</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=one-is-silver-the-other-gold-a-new-look-at-holiday-traditions#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:48:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nan Zastrow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41827</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“I believe that we are here for a reason, I believe that as each day unfolds, We see less of the shadow And more of the sun. Less of the tarnish And more of the gold.” A ninety year old man owned a piece of property with a cabin on a small lake in central [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=one-is-silver-the-other-gold-a-new-look-at-holiday-traditions/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Spiritual Women Help Grieving Friends</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=spiritual-women-help-grieving-friends</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=spiritual-women-help-grieving-friends#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:20:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43734</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week I gave a talk at a local church about spiritual women helping each other.  The talk came from my own experience of losing four family members in 2007.  My handout showed the “bones” of my talk and helped audience members to follow along.  What were the points of my talk? Spiritual women offer [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=spiritual-women-help-grieving-friends/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>This Holiday Season, Complete These Sentences&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=this-holiday-season-complete-these-sentences</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=this-holiday-season-complete-these-sentences#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:34:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43746</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When someone we love dies, most of us always wish for two things: one, that the death never happened, that our loved one had never gotten sick and died, or never gotten into an accident and died, and two, if we could just have one more day with them, one more day to say the things [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=this-holiday-season-complete-these-sentences/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Widow Wonders if She&#8217;ll Ever &#8216;Fit&#8217; with Another Man</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-wonders-if-shell-ever-fit-with-another-man</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-wonders-if-shell-ever-fit-with-another-man#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:53:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laurel Rund</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43713</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Liana watched as the email came in.  A “wink” from the cyberspace-dating world.  God, she said to herself, how did I get myself into this?  She settled down into the office chair and clicked on the picture.  Ugg, not for me.  So she pushed the search button and scanned the faces that were supposed to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-wonders-if-shell-ever-fit-with-another-man/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sister is Gone, Her Legacy is Immortal</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=immortal</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=immortal#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:18:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43707</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, remains and is immortal”. ~ Albert Pine When I heard those words, I immediately thought about my sister. Sandra was a school teacher. She taught school for well over 30 years. She was passionate about her work, her students. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=immortal/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cliffs Notes for the Beginning Griever</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cliffs-notes-for-the-beginning-griever</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cliffs-notes-for-the-beginning-griever#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:30:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sally Grablick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43687</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How is it we are taught to love, work, marry, and procreate, but no one teaches us how grieve? The Victorians had it down to a science. They even had a parlor in their homes where they hosted the funerals of deceased family members. That’s where the term funeral “parlor” came from. People wore black [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cliffs-notes-for-the-beginning-griever/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Thanksgiving Day Brings Sweet, Sad Memories</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=thanksgivings-past-thankgivings-future</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=thanksgivings-past-thankgivings-future#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Nov 2011 09:24:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43620</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thanksgiving is a hard day for me.  My parents were married on this day and my elder daughter, now deceased, was born on Thanksgiving.  I can still smell the tantalizing smell of roasting turkey wafting down the hall from the hospital kitchen and the thyme that was added to the stuffing.  But there was no [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=thanksgivings-past-thankgivings-future/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Helping a Close Friend Deal With Bereavement</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=helping-a-close-friend-deal-with-bereavement</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=helping-a-close-friend-deal-with-bereavement#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:12:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Jane Hurley Brant</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43654</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[No one wants to see a friend suffering from grief but when our friend has lost someone they care deeply about they will have to grieve.  Grieving is the natural emotional response to loss.  It&#8217;s a painful emotion to observe in anyone but even more so when it&#8217;s our friend. No one wants to see [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=helping-a-close-friend-deal-with-bereavement/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Holidays: Plan, Set Boundaries, Smile</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-holidays-plan-set-boundaries-smile</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-holidays-plan-set-boundaries-smile#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:59:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Kodanaz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41834</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For some reason, we all have embedded in our minds that once Thanksgiving arrives, it is time to increase the level of stress we place on ourselves. No matter what type of planning we do for the holiday season, we all tend to let the gift-giving and the changes in daily schedule and family dynamics [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-holidays-plan-set-boundaries-smile/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Giving Thanks Even for Our Troubles</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=giving-thanks-even-for-our-troubles</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=giving-thanks-even-for-our-troubles#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:59:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcia Gaddis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43680</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s a few weeks before Thanksgiving, and I am thankful my family is coming to visit! I am thankful I can get out my mother’s china and polish the silver and set a beautiful table for lots of people I love. I am thankful there are little children who will be running around, pulling the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=giving-thanks-even-for-our-troubles/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grief Soup: The Mix of Emotions</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-soup-the-mix-of-emotions</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-soup-the-mix-of-emotions#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:45:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Paul Bennett</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43651</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If only grief were simple: sadness, tears, missing that beloved person. If only we could be alone in stillness with the absence (and the starting presence) of that dear person we’ve lost. Maybe then we could simply rest in the plain sorrow of love and let our grief be. What you get, though, is it [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-soup-the-mix-of-emotions/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Gift that Keeps on Giving</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=struggling-through-the-holidays</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=struggling-through-the-holidays#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:57:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carla Blowey</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42446</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Few of us are ready to assume the position and the responsibility that comes with our new role in the family when a parent dies, no matter what our age. My mother died of ovarian cancer, when I was a young mother. I assumed Mom’s holiday rituals and family duties because I thought she would [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=struggling-through-the-holidays/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Can I Be a Compassionate Caretaker?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-can-i-be-a-compassionate-caretaker</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-can-i-be-a-compassionate-caretaker#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:38:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Stan Goldberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43646</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are not already a caregiver for someone with a chronic or terminal illness, statistics say you will be. It’s estimated that there are at least 45 million family caregivers in the United States and that number will keep rising as people live longer. You should assume that at least once in your life, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-can-i-be-a-compassionate-caretaker/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Aftershock of a Murder</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=aftershock-of-a-murder</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=aftershock-of-a-murder#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:24:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43643</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It will soon be 26 months since my beautiful sister, Sandra, lost her life by the hands of a murderer. I think back on the last 26 months and all that happened, all I learned. I often described those months as a rollercoaster. Emotions and feelings were up and down, up and down. Lately, I’ve [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=aftershock-of-a-murder/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Celebrating the Birth of Triplets While Mourning Dad’s Suicide</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=celebrating-the-birth-of-triplets-while-mourning-dad%e2%80%99s-suicide</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=celebrating-the-birth-of-triplets-while-mourning-dad%e2%80%99s-suicide#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:59:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Barbara Rubel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43626</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I wish you could have been there . . . It was quite a sight. Three infant car seats with tiny faces and six wiggling hands and feet. We were going home, but my father would not be there to greet us. I had spent the last four weeks of my pregnancy in the hospital, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=celebrating-the-birth-of-triplets-while-mourning-dad%e2%80%99s-suicide/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>What Does An Angel Look Like?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-does-an-angel-look-like</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-does-an-angel-look-like#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:39:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcia Gaddis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43624</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A client made a personal visit to my husband&#8217;s office the other day.  She had never met his assistant and while talking privately in his office, complimented her happy, helpful spirit and said, &#8220;In my mind I had not pictured her to be so joy-filled. I love being around her.&#8221;  His response was a question: [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-does-an-angel-look-like/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Death of Spouse Prompts Re-assessment of Life</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=death-of-spouse-prompts-re-assessment-of-life</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=death-of-spouse-prompts-re-assessment-of-life#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:17:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Tidd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42711</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I read something recently that I wanted to share with you that I think articulates part of the miracle…yes, I did say miracle…of loss.  Not the loss itself, of course…but what our (dare I say) rebirth when it happens.   Mark Mettousek said: “It seems perverse that authenticity should stem from loss.  The outline cracks, you [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=death-of-spouse-prompts-re-assessment-of-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Chanel No. 5: Bringing Wife&#8217;s Memory Alive</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=chanel-no-5-bringing-wifes-memory-alive</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=chanel-no-5-bringing-wifes-memory-alive#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:05:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard Ballo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43587</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Chanel No. 5. It is a perfume name that I know. I can’t recall what it smells likes, yet I was married to a woman who wore it. I can recall the woman: her smile, her laugh, her facial expressions, and the way she looked at me. I have a small bottle of Channel No. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=chanel-no-5-bringing-wifes-memory-alive/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Fear of Death Can Prevent Some From Seeking Medical Care</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fear-of-death-can-prevent-some-from-seeking-medical-care</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fear-of-death-can-prevent-some-from-seeking-medical-care#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:33:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kathryn Williams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43610</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For some people, a loss brings an awareness of the fragility of one’s own life. During the bereavement process, the loss can magnify the anxieties and fear of death. If you are embracing this mind-set, long-term, it can become toxic to your health. It is critical to overcome such thinking to enable you to live a life [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fear-of-death-can-prevent-some-from-seeking-medical-care/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Nephew Has Special Bond With Deceased Uncle</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=nephew-has-special-bond-with-deceased-uncle</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=nephew-has-special-bond-with-deceased-uncle#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:16:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carol Loehr</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43617</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  We all use our minds to try to understand why our children died. I am no different; when our son Keith died, I continued to ask that endless question—Why? Throughout my pursuit for answers, my niece Juli and her son Cody helped me realize that maybe I was not looking at all possibilities—just maybe [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=nephew-has-special-bond-with-deceased-uncle/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Is There a Place at Holiday Table for the Griever?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=is-there-a-place-at-holiday-table-for-the-griever</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=is-there-a-place-at-holiday-table-for-the-griever#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Nov 2011 08:50:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43578</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s that time of year again. The holiday season, a time of rejoicing, celebration. First there&#8217;s Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas, Hanukah, and New Years. But what if I’m not thankful and don’t want to celebrate? What if I am sadder than I have ever been? What if I am pissed as hell? And what if I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=is-there-a-place-at-holiday-table-for-the-griever/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Don&#8217;t Let a Loss Make You Give Up Your Dreams</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-let-a-loss-make-you-give-up-your-dreams</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-let-a-loss-make-you-give-up-your-dreams#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Nov 2011 08:51:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rebecca Guevara</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fairness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[justice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recovery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-blame]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43592</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you had asked me after my brother took his own life if I held revenge or a need for justice in my heart, I would have told you no. I was too broken, my emotional core was in too many pieces, and most of my feelings surrounded sadness. I would have said such deep [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-let-a-loss-make-you-give-up-your-dreams/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Young Widow Watches Sons Grow into Men</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=young-widow-watches-sons-grow-into-men</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=young-widow-watches-sons-grow-into-men#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:54:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christine Thiele</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping kids talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Male styles of grieving]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43569</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am a mom of two boys. I am mom to two boys who do not have their father around anymore as a model. I am a mom who, beyond words, loves being a mom of boys. When my husband died seven years ago, I knew that finding positive, male role models for my young sons would [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=young-widow-watches-sons-grow-into-men/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Platitudes: Uncomfortable for Everyone</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=platitudes-uncomfortable-for-everyone</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=platitudes-uncomfortable-for-everyone#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:44:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Mulligan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43565</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while so that we can see life with a clearer view again.   Tom Bodett When we&#8217;re grieving, we all platitudes. You know these: “She’s in a better place.&#8221; “God never gives us more than we can handle.” “It must have been his [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=platitudes-uncomfortable-for-everyone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Helping Children Cope with Grief during the Holiday Season</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=helping-children-cope-with-grief-during-the-holiday-season</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=helping-children-cope-with-grief-during-the-holiday-season#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:56:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Suzy Yehl Marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Activities to process grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping kids talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sibling loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42194</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Holidays are normally a time of joy and celebration amongst families; however, they can heighten children&#8217;s sense of loss. Whether it is loss from a death or a divorce, a child is more likely to acknowledge the fact that the relative is missing during these times that are spent with family. According to recent census [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=helping-children-cope-with-grief-during-the-holiday-season/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Holiday Season Offers a Chance to Move Forward</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=holiday-season-offers-a-chance-to-move-forward</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=holiday-season-offers-a-chance-to-move-forward#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:03:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Kodanaz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41837</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As we walk the path of grief, we look for a passage to help us understand how to comprehend the complexities of anguish and how to channel our emotions into a constructive solution. Logically, we know waking every morning with a constructive plan for the day will help us walk the path of grief. However, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=holiday-season-offers-a-chance-to-move-forward/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Mom Wears a Mask on Halloween</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-mom-wears-a-mask-on-halloween</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-mom-wears-a-mask-on-halloween#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:58:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Fox</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43583</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Monday is Halloween, and although we do not celebrate it like we did when my daughter Marcy was alive and young enough to enjoy the night, we still answer the door to the goblins and fairy princesses from our neighborhood. “How pretty you look,” I say to the young children wearing long princess dresses. “And how [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-mom-wears-a-mask-on-halloween/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Finding Daughter&#8217;s Purse Restarts Grief Four Years Later</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=finding-daughters-purse-restarts-grief-four-years-later</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=finding-daughters-purse-restarts-grief-four-years-later#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:40:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43487</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The lower level of our house gets lots of use, especially in the winter time. We watch television there and work in our home office. Fourteen years ago, we had new carpet installed and it had become worn and dirty. &#8220;Sorry, I can&#8217;t get it any cleaner,&#8221; the cleaning man said, and I believed him. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=finding-daughters-purse-restarts-grief-four-years-later/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Physical Effects of Grief: Insomnia, Eating Problems, and More</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=physical-effects-of-grief-insomnia-eating-problems-and-more</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=physical-effects-of-grief-insomnia-eating-problems-and-more#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:03:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brandi Reyna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42802</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I suddenly lost my fiancé in a car accident, my body had a traumatic response to the situation. When we grieve the loss of someone we love so much and who had such a profound impact on our life, we do not get to choose how our body reacts. We can’t place an order [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=physical-effects-of-grief-insomnia-eating-problems-and-more/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Transitions: How to Recapture the &#8216;Drive&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=transitions-how-to-recapture-the-drive</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=transitions-how-to-recapture-the-drive#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:35:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=43483</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a Reader:  How do you bring back the &#8220;drive&#8221;? The desire to improve one&#8217;s self? The desire to learn something new, or to go with your goal? Since my husband died nearly a year ago, I&#8217;ve lost this drive and it seems hard to get it back. I still want to achieve some [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=transitions-how-to-recapture-the-drive/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Like Trees in Fall, We Must Let Go</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=42716</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=42716#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:47:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42716</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I walk through the crunchy leaves that blanket the ground while others float down landing on me. I hesitate to brush them off. They are, after all, part of the beauty that is fall. That same breeze that makes the leaves dance swirls my hair around my face. I gently push it back as I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=42716/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Truth Behind the &#8216;Considerate Griever&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-truth-behind-the-considerate-griever</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-truth-behind-the-considerate-griever#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:21:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Tidd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42713</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Throughout the last few years, I have thought a lot about how we all handle widowhood differently.  We all move at our own pace and grieve within our own comfort zone.  It’s been interesting to me the way I’ve grieved.  For the most part, I consider myself a pretty private person when it comes to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-truth-behind-the-considerate-griever/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Don&#8217;t Believe One Widow&#8217;s Experience Will be the Same as Yours</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-believe-one-widows-experience-will-be-the-same-as-yours</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-believe-one-widows-experience-will-be-the-same-as-yours#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Oct 2011 08:13:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Tidd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42707</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You know&#8230;I always hesitate before I write about something hard I’m going through.  There is always a fear that a new widow will read it and think, “My gosh&#8230;I’m just trying to get through today.  This woman has been at it for almost four years and she’s still having a hard time???”  I’m always worried [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-believe-one-widows-experience-will-be-the-same-as-yours/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How I Wear my Genes</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-i-wear-my-genes</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-i-wear-my-genes#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 22 Oct 2011 08:01:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sharon RothLichtenfeld</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42704</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s October. The weather has turned cooler and I finally had to break out the jeans and long sleeved shirt. As I suspected, the 10 pounds that I gained showed themselves as I tried to button my jeans. Not only am I sad about the end of summer, I am also confronted with my weight gain [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-i-wear-my-genes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Are You Grieving Right? Yes!</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=are-you-grieving-right-yes</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=are-you-grieving-right-yes#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:43:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bobbi Emel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42701</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 27-year-old young woman had called for an appointment because her father died six months ago. Now she sat across from me, squirming slightly on the comfortable suede sofa in my office. I asked how I could help her. She fidgeted a bit more, looking down at her hands. &#8220;What I want to know is . . [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=are-you-grieving-right-yes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>October Brings New Beauty, Triggers Old Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=october-brings-new-beauty-triggers-old-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=october-brings-new-beauty-triggers-old-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:21:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christine Thiele</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42641</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[October begins again and I can feel my descent into the memories. It started about a week ago when the weather began to change a bit. The cooler breezes starting blowing, the sky is a more brilliant blue and the heat is beginning to subside. For me, all of these changes trigger my grief. It [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=october-brings-new-beauty-triggers-old-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Yearning for Certainty in an Uncertain World</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=yearning-for-certainty-in-an-uncertain-world</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=yearning-for-certainty-in-an-uncertain-world#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:06:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James P. Krehbiel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42629</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A woman was walking down the hallway past my counseling office after she had seen Linda, the massage therapist.  My office door was open so I heard the lady remark, “Everything happens for a reason, my friend.”  The certainty built into her response was comforting to me.  However, I began wondering if her statement was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=yearning-for-certainty-in-an-uncertain-world/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Online Grief Site is Safe Space for the Bereaved</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=online-grief-site-is-safe-space-for-the-bereaved</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=online-grief-site-is-safe-space-for-the-bereaved#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:41:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Lipkus</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42793</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How can a person begin to survive the emotional roller-coaster ride one experiences after the death of a loved one?  A father who outlives his child; a wife who tries to make sense of her husband’s suicide; a daughter who watches her mother suffer as cancer robs her of her dignity; a teenager in shock [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=online-grief-site-is-safe-space-for-the-bereaved/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bout with Cancer Shows Woman What She Will Need When She&#8217;s Old</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=bout-with-cancer-shows-woman-what-she-will-need-when-shes-old</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=bout-with-cancer-shows-woman-what-she-will-need-when-shes-old#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:11:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Troccolo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42638</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the summer that I was treated for thyroid cancer, I learned what it meant to be literally exhausted, to have no energy. I was a young woman then, so it seemed pretty simple: Normally, if I was tired, I’d rest, sleep in late over the weekend and be back to normal. But not now, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=bout-with-cancer-shows-woman-what-she-will-need-when-shes-old/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Buffy the Vampire Slayer: An Image for My Life after Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=buffy-the-vampire-slayer-an-image-for-my-life-after-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=buffy-the-vampire-slayer-an-image-for-my-life-after-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:51:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robin Moore</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42618</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When my husband died, I had no idea how I’d recover. After two years of nursing his terminal illness, our household was drained and I was just plain exhausted. As the breadwinner, I had worked full time through his illness; as the mother of a small child, I was desperately needed at home. Perhaps it [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=buffy-the-vampire-slayer-an-image-for-my-life-after-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grieving for the Sister She Never Knew</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-for-the-sister-she-never-knew</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-for-the-sister-she-never-knew#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 08:39:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Daly</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping kids talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sibling loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42615</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Savannah, our third child, was welcomed into this world in May of ’99.  I like to think she was specially chosen for our family by her older sister, Alexandria.  Alexandria was too ill to stay with us.   She died early in ’98, seven days after her birth, from a chromosome abnormality.  She spent her brief [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-for-the-sister-she-never-knew/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Self-Forgiveness is a Key to Healing</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=self-forgiveness-is-a-key-to-healing</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=self-forgiveness-is-a-key-to-healing#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:18:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42589</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Guilt is one of those emotions people don&#8217;t talk much about, maybe because shame is so often a part of it. Yet when someone we love dies, most of us feel guilty about something or perhaps many things. &#8220;If only I had&#8230;.&#8221; &#8220;Why didn&#8217;t I?&#8221; &#8220;I should have insisted.&#8221; &#8221;It should have been me.&#8221; All of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=self-forgiveness-is-a-key-to-healing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dragonflies Help Dad Feel Close to Deceased Son</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dragonflies-make-dad-feel-close-to-deceased-son</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dragonflies-make-dad-feel-close-to-deceased-son#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kelly Farley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42585</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It must have been a couple of weeks after the death of my son Noah when I first noticed the dragonflies.  It was mid-June 2006 and I had already been off work for several weeks.  I had called my office to let them know that I wasn’t going to be in for awhile.  At the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dragonflies-make-dad-feel-close-to-deceased-son/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>20 Questions to Ask Your Terminally Ill Loved One</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=20-questions-to-ask-your-terminally-ill-loved-one</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=20-questions-to-ask-your-terminally-ill-loved-one#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:47:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Barbara Rubel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42582</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is Palliative Care and Hospice? If you have been told that your loved one is terminally ill, this article will help you identify palliative care, hospice, advanced care planning, Five Wishes, and questions to ask during this difficult time. Let’s first look at palliative care,which helps individuals improve their quality of life by providing [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=20-questions-to-ask-your-terminally-ill-loved-one/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;It&#8217;s Our Responsibility to Find Hope Again&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=its-our-responsibility-to-find-hope-again</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=its-our-responsibility-to-find-hope-again#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:40:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42578</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.  &#8212; C.S.Lewis [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=its-our-responsibility-to-find-hope-again/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Falling into Autumn, Season of Bitter and Sweet</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=falling-into-autumn-season-of-bitter-and-sweet</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=falling-into-autumn-season-of-bitter-and-sweet#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:24:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kate McGrath</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42574</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The air has changed.  Rather than being sun-kissed by the warmth of the day during the summer months, the crisp air of fall is an invigorating embrace which envelopes me and is a welcomed presence.  The air is not the only change this season brings: classes have resumed, regular work schedules have begun again, and the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=falling-into-autumn-season-of-bitter-and-sweet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Helpful Tips For Managing the Holidays For the Bereaved</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=helpful-tips-for-managing-the-holidays-for-the-bereaved</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=helpful-tips-for-managing-the-holidays-for-the-bereaved#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Oct 2011 08:04:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gloria Lintermans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42265</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While grieving we go through many firsts as important dates come up on the calendar. Whether it&#8217;s the first anniversary, birthday or holiday, it&#8217;s good to have coping strategies in place to rely on to help us cope. The holidays can be a particularly difficult time. While we are used to being with our family [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=helpful-tips-for-managing-the-holidays-for-the-bereaved/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pennies and Pachelbel: Signs from a Son</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=pennies-and-pachelbel</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=pennies-and-pachelbel#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Oct 2011 08:53:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Beth Seyda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42552</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Back in 1997, my husband Mark and I had been married for almost 12 years and had been trying to get pregnant for the last six when we stared at the positive results from the home pregnancy test.  To say we were thrilled was an understatement.   Sixteen weeks into our pregnancy we had a routine [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=pennies-and-pachelbel/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Learning to Fly Again</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=learning-to-fly-again</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=learning-to-fly-again#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:42:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42261</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When someone we love dies, we have to fly on anyway. But what if we have forgotten how to fly? &#160; The death of someone we love grounds us. It leaves us without a pilot or a flight plan. Chaos and confusion replace logic and order. We may feel as if we have been dropped [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=learning-to-fly-again/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>An Uncertain Truth</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=an-uncertain-truth</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=an-uncertain-truth#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:33:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gale Massey</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42652</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[She stood on the railroad tracks listening for the train when another sound started in the distance, soft at first then growing louder, closer. She recognized the sound, knew in a moment that the siren was coming closer, coming for her father. As she bolted down the dirt path toward home, a window opened in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=an-uncertain-truth/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Sign From Mom at the Holidays</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-sign-from-mom-at-the-holidays</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-sign-from-mom-at-the-holidays#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:45:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Megan Prescott</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42340</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 1987, when I was eighteen years old, my mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia two weeks prior to Christmas. We brought Christmas to her in her hospital room that year in the midst of her chemotherapy, complete with a homemade turkey dinner.  What I couldn’t have imagined then was that in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-sign-from-mom-at-the-holidays/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Now I See: Grieving and Raising My Grandchildren</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=now-i-see-grieving-and-raising-my-grandchildren</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=now-i-see-grieving-and-raising-my-grandchildren#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2011 08:45:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42549</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“You’re coming home with us,” I said.  My husband and I and our twin grandchildren were standing by the hospital’s emergency entrance.  Tragedy had found us again.  Nine months ago, their mother (our daughter) died from the injuries she received in a car crash.  Their fatherhad  just died from the injuries he received in another [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=now-i-see-grieving-and-raising-my-grandchildren/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Letter to Family After a Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=letter-to-family-after-a-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=letter-to-family-after-a-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Westra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42546</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear Extended Family of Peter, Christmas is over. We made it. Now we await his birthday, the anniversary of his death, other Christmases, wedding, other funerals. We sincerely thank you for your greetings and gifts though we did not send any to you this year. You have asked what you can do to help us. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=letter-to-family-after-a-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Terminal Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=terminal-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=terminal-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:40:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42543</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My life as I knew it ended on May 26, 2002, when my eighteen-year-old daughter Jeannine was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare, aggressive and incurable form of cancer. Jeannine died on March 1, 2003, at the age of 18, approximately ten months after diagnosis. When she was diagnosed, the experience itself was surreal. In [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=terminal-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Her Faith Pulled Her Through Series of Losses</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=42607</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=42607#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 02 Oct 2011 19:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Elizabeth Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42607</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s been eleven years since I stood next to my dying brother’s bed and stroked his hair, trying to give him comfort in his time of need. He and I were both certain the end was creeping in just as day turns into evening. We knew it, but never spoke of it. I was standing [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=42607/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>‘Happy’ Holidays? Not for the Newly Bereaved</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=%e2%80%98happy%e2%80%99-holidays-not-for-the-newly-bereaved</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=%e2%80%98happy%e2%80%99-holidays-not-for-the-newly-bereaved#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 02 Oct 2011 08:38:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karla Wheeler</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Activities to process grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42318</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  This holiday season, an estimated one in 20 Americans will be grieving the loss of someone dear. And for some bereaved folks, the loss is so profound in their lives that they shudder at the thought of celebrating anything, especially a season that is supposed to be merry and jolly. If you are dreading [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=%e2%80%98happy%e2%80%99-holidays-not-for-the-newly-bereaved/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Did My Cat Go to Heaven?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=did-my-cat-go-to-heaven</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=did-my-cat-go-to-heaven#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:27:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pet Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42537</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a reader:  I have been grieving the loss of my cat for some time now, and the pain does not go away. I am still very sad and wondering what kind of help you can give me.  I keep thinking—did my Mittens go to heaven or not?  I had a very tight bond [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=did-my-cat-go-to-heaven/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Whispers of Love, Signs of Hope</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=whispers-of-love-signs-of-hope</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=whispers-of-love-signs-of-hope#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:20:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mitch Carmody</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42533</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you have lost someone close to you and suffer with that loss, you may have wished for, prayed for, expected and or anticipated some sort of supernatural experience that would validate your belief that there truly is life after death.  I believe that somehow our loved one who has moved on in spirit can [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=whispers-of-love-signs-of-hope/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Poem: We Promise to Remember</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=poem-we-promise-to-remember</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=poem-we-promise-to-remember#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:27:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janet Grimes</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poems and Reviews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42594</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear Children,    We promise to remember your eyes so blue The joy in your faces that remained so true. Your hair so blond, it seemed almost white The way you hid behind your parents, acting so shy.   We promise to remember your bashful grins and quiet chatter The way you spoke to each other, as [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=poem-we-promise-to-remember/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Letting Go and Moving Forward</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=letting-go-and-moving-forward</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=letting-go-and-moving-forward#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:21:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carl Mathis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42449</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let’s face it: we all have negative or bad experiences that we just cannot seem to get past. There are just certain things, that when remembered, always cause anxiety and anger to build up inside us. And we have to admit that sometimes we just don’t want to let go of these negative emotions and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=letting-go-and-moving-forward/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Year of Firsts</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-year-of-firsts</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-year-of-firsts#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:06:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jean Williams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42527</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Imagine a young son who has struggled his whole life with pain and illness. His parents have cared for his physical needs and felt responsible for his emotional well-being. Now, imagine they are witnessing their twenty-five-year-old son die from a bullet by his own hand. That profound moment began our yearlong of firsts. I know [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-year-of-firsts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Calling: Reaching Out to Others Through Writing</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-calling-reaching-out-to-others-through-writing</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-calling-reaching-out-to-others-through-writing#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:44:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Elizabeth Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42523</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I was young, my life&#8217;s calling was softly introduced to me. It may not have been a path I would have chosen as an adult or of my own desire, but it changed me and made me who I am today. I guess my mother&#8217;s illness and death deeply impacted my life. I never [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-calling-reaching-out-to-others-through-writing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can I Believe My Mother is in Heaven?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=can-i-believe-my-mother-is-in-heaven</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=can-i-believe-my-mother-is-in-heaven#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:24:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Muscarella</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42433</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love going to psychics. I’m not sure if it’s my impetuous nature to know what is to come, the comforting assertions like “Great fortune is headed your way” or its mother-memory connection. I became loosely associated with the magic of clairvoyance at age 5. I waited in the reception area while my mother traveled [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=can-i-believe-my-mother-is-in-heaven/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When Mom Dies: A Big Sister Writes to Her Little Sister</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-mom-dies-a-big-sister-writes-to-her-little-sister</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-mom-dies-a-big-sister-writes-to-her-little-sister#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Sep 2011 08:20:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Troccolo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42454</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(This piece is an excerpt from a longer work entitled Mind Pictures)  The days in the hospital right before our mom died are mostly a blur. I remember that you and Dad and I sat by her bed as long as we were allowed. I remember the heart monitor and the unsettling, uncertain blips on [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-mom-dies-a-big-sister-writes-to-her-little-sister/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reframing: Technique to Make the Good Memories Come Alive</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=reframing-technique-to-make-the-good-memories-come-alive</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=reframing-technique-to-make-the-good-memories-come-alive#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:26:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sharon Greenlee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42416</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When we lose a loved one, the reaction is extreme sadness and that sadness plays its role in the form of grief. Many times the circumstances of the death can cause undue mental distress for the bereaved. For example, many who lost loved ones in the September 11th tragedy may be struggling to rid their [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=reframing-technique-to-make-the-good-memories-come-alive/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Ask for a Story of Your Loved One</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-ask-for-a-story-of-your-loved-one</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-ask-for-a-story-of-your-loved-one#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:13:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bob Baugher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42405</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Think for a moment about all of the 7 billion people still alive on earth as you read these words. At some point in the future not one person will be alive. You and I and all the rest will be gone only to be replaced by a whole new group. What have we all [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-ask-for-a-story-of-your-loved-one/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>With Her Father in the Final Days</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=with-her-father-in-the-final-days</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=with-her-father-in-the-final-days#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:49:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rhonda Belous</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42354</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“All the leaves are brown; and the sky is grey …” The Mamas and Papas The verbs and functions began to fall away like the September leaves. Some faster than others, the “helicopters” spiraled to their demise and others quietly and unhurriedly floated to the ground. One thing was undeniable – they were never to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=with-her-father-in-the-final-days/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Autumn Arrives, Good Things Will Follow</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=autumn-arrives-good-things-will-follow</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=autumn-arrives-good-things-will-follow#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:56:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41645</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Outside, the temperatures are changing and we pull out fall clothing.  Soon we will need even more warmth, and our winter wardrobe will appear. For some of us, it may seem no matter how many layers we put on, we are still cold.  The chill we feel in our bones goes beyond warm clothing. What [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=autumn-arrives-good-things-will-follow/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Remember Yourself</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remember-yourself</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remember-yourself#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:34:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>KimBoo York</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42420</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As my country (the U.S.A.) was awash in memorializations to 9/11, it is appropriate that I was mulling on the matter of death-day anniversaries, something we shove under carpets when it&#8217;s not headlining on CNN. I&#8217;m sure many mourners note the date of death and watch the calendar with trepidation as the anniversary approaches, planning graveside [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remember-yourself/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Caregiver Humor</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=caregiver-humor</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=caregiver-humor#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Sep 2011 08:34:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allen Klein</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42351</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes a laugh is the only weapon we have. —Roger Rabbit Several years ago my father-in-law was very ill. One time, when he came home from the hospital, it was his and my mother-in-law’s wedding anniversary. I suggested that they invite a few friends over for dinner and I would do the cooking. Jimmy managed [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=caregiver-humor/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Signs From Above</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=signs-from-above</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=signs-from-above#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:50:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Megan Prescott</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42342</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is my personal belief that when a person “passes away,” his or her spirit and essence continues to be very much alive. Following the deaths of three immediate family members, I became more than a little interested in theories of the afterlife. I read and watched everything I could find on the subject of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=signs-from-above/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Guilty! Sister Comforted That Murderer is Confined Forever</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=guilty-sister-comforted-that-no-one-else-will-die</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=guilty-sister-comforted-that-no-one-else-will-die#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:17:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42442</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The trial for my sister’s murderer ended yesterday. It was a very intense week to say the least. The state rested about 3:30 pm. The case was turned over to the jury about 4 pm. We waited. I felt confident. I knew the prosecutors had done their very best. Still we waited. Finally, about 4 [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=guilty-sister-comforted-that-no-one-else-will-die/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reaching Out to Those in Need</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=reaching-out-to-those-in-need</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=reaching-out-to-those-in-need#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:33:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Elizabeth Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42408</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I was young, my life&#8217;s calling was softly introduced to me. It may not have been a path I would have chosen as an adult or of my own desire, but it changed me and made me who I am today. I guess my mother&#8217;s illness and death deeply impacted my life. I never [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=reaching-out-to-those-in-need/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grandmother Writes to Deceased Grandson on His Birthday</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=42321</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=42321#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:10:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Van Pelt</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42321</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Conner, today is your 1st birthday.  It has been 12 months since your death and it hurts just as much today as it did then.  Time has a way of helping you control your tears while around others but when alone, it is very easy to shed them.  I miss you so much.  I am [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=42321/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Regaining the Bounce</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=regaining-the-bounce</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=regaining-the-bounce#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:54:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bobbi Emel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42403</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I played basketball when I was younger and occasionally even now, I enjoy going out and shooting some baskets. I love the feel of the leather and the springy sound of the ball as it hits the pavement and jumps into my waiting hands. If I haven’t played for awhile, though, sometimes I get the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=regaining-the-bounce/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Adult Children Can Cope While Caretaking Parents</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-adult-children-can-cope-while-caretaking-parents</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-adult-children-can-cope-while-caretaking-parents#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 08:32:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James P. Krehbiel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caretake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elderly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family relationships]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42303</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We of the baby-boomer generation are feeling the pressure as we provide care for our elderly parents. It is painful as we helplessly watch our loved ones experience the impact of failing health. We feel powerless against the ravages of deteriorating health and mourn our losses as our parents begin the descent involving their incapacity [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-adult-children-can-cope-while-caretaking-parents/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Your Deceased Loved Ones Are Okay and Want You To Know That</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=your-deceased-loved-ones-are-okay-and-want-you-to-know-that</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=your-deceased-loved-ones-are-okay-and-want-you-to-know-that#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:56:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Noe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42268</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a psychic medium, I have the job of reconnecting with those who made their transition to the other side. When clients first come see me, I explain we are eternal spiritual beings having a temporary human experience on earth. The energy of who we are continues to exist after the physical body dies. Our [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=your-deceased-loved-ones-are-okay-and-want-you-to-know-that/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Children and Grief Story</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-children-and-grief-story</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-children-and-grief-story#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:41:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sharon Greenlee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping kids talk]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42325</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My gramma’s grief over the loss of her only child devoured me!  To see and hear her wailing and knowing she couldn’t stop was heartbreaking and frightening.  Her sadness, and my inability to do anything about it grieved me, possibly as much as the grief I felt for the loss of my mother.  I was eleven [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-children-and-grief-story/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>10 Years Later, 9/11 Memories are Razor Sharp</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=10-years-later-911-memories-are-razor-sharp</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=10-years-later-911-memories-are-razor-sharp#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:19:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Fox</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41748</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today is the 10th anniversary of the terror attack on the World Trade Center. Our hearts go out even now to the thousands of people who died that day: children, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers and friends. So many people mourned, are still mourning and will never forget the worst terrorist act on American soil. I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=10-years-later-911-memories-are-razor-sharp/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Living with an Unexpected Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=living-with-an-unexpected-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=living-with-an-unexpected-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Sep 2011 08:01:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kent Koppelman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42272</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is hard to accept the loss of a loved one after they have been a presence in your life for so many years, especially if they were young and you had expected them to be in your life for many more years to come. I have heard that people who have lost an arm [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=living-with-an-unexpected-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Support 9/11 Families</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-support-911-families</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-support-911-families#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:25:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ami Neiberger-Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42331</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States is likely to stir emotions for the thousands of people in the United States who are grieving the deaths of a loved one who died during the attacks a decade ago. The anniversary also poses an emotional challenge for the families [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-support-911-families/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Talking to Your Children about 9/11</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=talking-to-your-children-about-911</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=talking-to-your-children-about-911#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:08:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Pamela Gabbay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Activities to process grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping kids talk]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42298</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s hard to believe, but this September 11th is going to be the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  For most of us, this milestone anniversary is bound to provoke a lot of powerful emotions.  As we remember back to that tragic day, many of us will be filled with images of fear, disbelief, and incredible sadness.  [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=talking-to-your-children-about-911/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Remembering NYC a Week After 9/11</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remembering-nyc-a-week-after-911</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remembering-nyc-a-week-after-911#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Stan Goldberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42345</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Daddy, please come,” my daughter said on September 11th. Together, we watched the towers fall. Me, from the safety of my San Francisco home. She, from an office building in Rockefeller Plaza, wondering if her friend survived. In August, I had scheduled a trip to visit her on September 18th. Nationwide, the planes were grounded [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remembering-nyc-a-week-after-911/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The 10th Anniversary of 9/11: How You Can Help</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-10th-anniversary-of-911-how-you-can-help</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-10th-anniversary-of-911-how-you-can-help#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:16:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Jane Hurley Brant</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Personalities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41689</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On September 11, 2011, we remember the 10th anniversary of the day when nearly 3,000 victims were killed after two airliners were crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, another plane hit the Pentagon, and a final plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania. In 2001, the barrage of bruising images from [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-10th-anniversary-of-911-how-you-can-help/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>After 700 Days, a Jury Trial for Man Accused</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-700-days-a-jury-trial-for-man-accused</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-700-days-a-jury-trial-for-man-accused#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:49:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42263</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On August 24, 2011, I attended our 8th pre trial hearing for my sister’s murderer.  Our first jury trial date was June 7, 2010, only to be continued until June 21, 2010, only to be continued to September 13, 2010, only to be continued until November 29, 2010, only to be continued until March 7, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-700-days-a-jury-trial-for-man-accused/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Voice of Pain Becomes Voice of Comfort</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=voice-of-pain-becomes-voice-of-comfort</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=voice-of-pain-becomes-voice-of-comfort#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:06:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laurel Rund</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42256</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There were so many voices in her head since his death, and they meshed into an angry crowd within her.  These discordant sounds pulled her into an abyss called grief.   As the voices blended together, she could not hear them clearly, drown them out or turn them off.  It was a time of profound sadness [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=voice-of-pain-becomes-voice-of-comfort/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Widow Reflects on Labor Day and its Complications</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-reflects-on-labor-day-and-its-complications</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-reflects-on-labor-day-and-its-complications#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:09:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kim Meredith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42198</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Work is present in our daily lives on many levels. We labor at our formal employment, we toil on building relationships, and we act to keep ourselves fit and healthy. All of these chores fit one of the dictionary definitions of the word work. Each one is a “purposeful effort.” As we are closing in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-reflects-on-labor-day-and-its-complications/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Combatting the Sunday Morning Loneliness</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=combatting-the-sunday-morning-loneliness</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=combatting-the-sunday-morning-loneliness#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Sep 2011 08:14:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Pesmen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42191</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The television is crackling with news about the latest weather catastrophe! All the morning news shows are &#8220;round tabling&#8221; about the craziness of ALL the candidates!! I&#8217;m bursting with comments, remarks, outrage&#8212;and there&#8217;s no one here for me to share all this emotion with. I can easily feel sorry for myself and go into a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=combatting-the-sunday-morning-loneliness/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Despite Husband&#8217;s Death, He&#8217;s &#8216;Always There&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=despite-husbands-death-hes-always-there</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=despite-husbands-death-hes-always-there#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 03 Sep 2011 08:01:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ellen Gerst</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42253</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When my late husband committed suicide, it felt as if I died too. The searing pain pierced my heart so deeply that I felt disconnected from everyday life. I would watch the world go by as if it were a movie, and I did not have a part. However, my two children needed my caring [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=despite-husbands-death-hes-always-there/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Music and Life of Nick Ashford</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-music-and-life-of-nick-ashford</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-music-and-life-of-nick-ashford#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:28:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole Alston</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Personalities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42281</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Not long before I attended Mr. Nick Ashford&#8217;s funeral at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, I was waiting in the check-out line at a nearby convenience store. The line was being manned by an exasperated store clerk, but, apparently, he had been abandoned by his fellow employees. His frantic attempts to page them for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-music-and-life-of-nick-ashford/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>After Husband&#8217;s Death, a Year of &#8216;Solitary Firsts&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-husbands-death-a-year-of-solitary-firsts</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-husbands-death-a-year-of-solitary-firsts#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:40:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laurel Rund</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42250</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I write this article, 2-1/2 years after my husband Marty’s death, I am overwhelmed with surprise that so much time has passed. Memories of that first year are wrapped in a surreal haze and when vivid images do surface, the fog lifts and reveals my year of solitary firsts. February 11th, 2009, marked the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-husbands-death-a-year-of-solitary-firsts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Memories of Flowers on a Rainy Day</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=memories-of-flowers-on-a-rainy-day</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=memories-of-flowers-on-a-rainy-day#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:50:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chasity Glass</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42130</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The smell of rain humidified the air. I hit snooze twice, three times. I’m convinced rain in Los Angeles should be considered a snow day, a break from routine, from working hard, a day to stay under the blankets. Even Gladys didn’t want to undo the tight ball of her sleeping body. Contemplating a fourth [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=memories-of-flowers-on-a-rainy-day/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Wake Me Up When September Ends</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=wake-me-up-when-september-ends</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=wake-me-up-when-september-ends#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:38:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kimberly Wencl</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In a few short days, the month of September will be upon us.  As I type these words, I can physically feel my stomach flip-flopping and a knot beginning to form.  What’s wrong with September?  Technically … nothing. I do enjoy the last days of summer and the soon-to-be fall weather. But my oldest daughter’s birthday [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=wake-me-up-when-september-ends/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Deceased Grandchild Sends Dragonflies to Grandma</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=deceased-grandchild-sends-dragonflies-to-grandma</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=deceased-grandchild-sends-dragonflies-to-grandma#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Aug 2011 08:58:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nina Bennett</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pregnancy Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42122</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Synchronicity is far more than a rock album. It is the term coined by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychotherapist, to describe the phenomenon in which events are connected in such a meaningful way that their occurrence seems to defy the calculations of probability. Part of my new normal since my granddaughter was born still is [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=deceased-grandchild-sends-dragonflies-to-grandma/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Embracing Grief Does Not Mean Rejecting Faith</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=embracing-grief-does-not-mean-rejecting-faith</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=embracing-grief-does-not-mean-rejecting-faith#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 27 Aug 2011 08:12:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brandi Reyna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42126</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Prior to my fiancé Greg’s accident in March 2010, my walk with Christ included daily quiet time and prayer, weekly women’s bible study, weekly young adult’s small group, weekly church service, and I served in ministry as a greeter, prayer team member and as intern in our church in women’s ministry. My walk with Christ [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=embracing-grief-does-not-mean-rejecting-faith/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>We Never Said Goodbye</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=we-never-said-goodbye</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=we-never-said-goodbye#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:47:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony Falzano</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Towards the end of her life, my mom had a number of health issues. These included high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure and eventually, dialysis. In the fall of 1999, her right leg began to turn black and blue. It was diagnosed that her heart was not strong enough to pump the blood to the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=we-never-said-goodbye/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sound and Silence Offer Solace</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sound-and-silence-offer-solace</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sound-and-silence-offer-solace#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:25:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rhonda Belous</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=42114</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose.” -          Elisabeth Kubler-Ross &#160; I felt compelled to stroke his hair like he was my little boy. A young boy who was in honest pain with not one place left to turn. The crying spells [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sound-and-silence-offer-solace/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The First Anniversary</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-first-anniversary-2</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-first-anniversary-2#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:50:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Kodanaz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41830</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just like nothing prepares you for the death of a loved one, there is no preparation for the first anniversary of a death. The anticipation of the date can make you just as emotional as the death itself. For all the positive steps forward you have taken over the year, the anniversary can set you [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-first-anniversary-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Free Bird Incident: Deceased Son Gives Mom a Sign</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=free-bird-incident-deceased-son-gives-mom-a-sign</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=free-bird-incident-deceased-son-gives-mom-a-sign#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:27:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sheri Perl</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41821</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A week or so after Danny passed, I was lying in bed, unable to bring myself to get up and get dressed.  My heart was heavy and I could think of no way to lighten it.  For lack of anything else to do, I opened my computer and began to look at the music that [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=free-bird-incident-deceased-son-gives-mom-a-sign/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Psalm 23 Creates Healing Connection</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=psalm-23-creates-healing-connection</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=psalm-23-creates-healing-connection#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Aug 2011 08:03:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Barbara Francis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41816</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Grief is the price we pay for love. —Queen Elizabeth II My best friend was dead. My faith was shattered. It was too much for me. I felt that I, too, was dying. I desperately needed a breakthrough—a sign, if you will, that she was safe. The thoughts of her being smashed against a mountain [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=psalm-23-creates-healing-connection/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Respond to Grief and Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-respond-to-grief-and-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-respond-to-grief-and-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Aug 2011 08:08:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James P. Krehbiel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41771</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Rabbi Harold Kushner, the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, wrote about his response to personal tragedy. His son, Aaron, experienced a premature aging disorder (progeria), and eventually died from this syndrome. The pain from the rabbi’s loss activated a crisis of faith. Kushner wrote his book for those &#8220;who have been [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-respond-to-grief-and-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hospice Volunteer Never Felt &#8216;So Close to God&#8217; Before</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hospice-volunteer-never-felt-so-close-to-god-before</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hospice-volunteer-never-felt-so-close-to-god-before#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:51:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41811</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don’t think there is anything more gratifying then working with hospice. A few years after my son’s death, I decided to sign up for the training sessions, which surprisingly many people after they lose a loved one. I had started to write about my son and felt that working with hospice would be a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hospice-volunteer-never-felt-so-close-to-god-before/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Beginning of School Reminds Mom of Daughter who Died</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=41765</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=41765#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:42:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cathy Seehuetter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41765</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[September, the advent of fall, seems almost like a reprieve from the difficult summer months that bring with it concentration on family activities. Maybe you had in previous years rented a cabin on the lake or camped, held 4th of July picnics, days at the beach, and trips to the fair. But with the death [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=41765/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Our Loved One Has Died and We&#8217;re Still Here&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=our-loved-one-has-died-and-were-still-here</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=our-loved-one-has-died-and-were-still-here#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Aug 2011 08:19:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41759</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[GRIEF sometimes comes like a thief in the night. At other times, it’s more like a slow moving train.  Either way, Grief hurts.  When someone we love dies, it creates a painful void in our lives that we aren’t sure how to live with and if we even want to live with. Grief often changes [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=our-loved-one-has-died-and-were-still-here/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>First Steps: What to Do When Cancer is the Diagnosis</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=first-steps-what-to-do-when-cancer-is-the-diagnosis</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=first-steps-what-to-do-when-cancer-is-the-diagnosis#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:53:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joseph Nowinski</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41737</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Oh, Ruth, I think this is a cancer.” These were the words uttered by Dr. Hiram Cody, a breast cancer surgeon, after an initial physical examination of the wife of a fellow physician, Dr. Peter Bach. And with that simple statement, Dr. Bach wrote, “Down into the tunnel Ruth and I stumbled, into the strange, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=first-steps-what-to-do-when-cancer-is-the-diagnosis/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Light Switch</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-light-switch</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-light-switch#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:31:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Louise Lagerman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41724</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was thinking today about grief and child-loss, and it occurred to me that losing a child can happen as fast as turning off a light switch. Here we are going on with our daily lives living day by day. Some are happy days, some are not so happy days, but all the time thinking [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-light-switch/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Son&#8217;s Suicide Reorders Family&#8217;s Life</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sons-suicide-reorders-familys-life</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sons-suicide-reorders-familys-life#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Aug 2011 08:09:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nan Zastrow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41692</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Spring forced its way into Wisconsin in an unusual way in April, 1993. It strangely marked the day with headline news: “Blizzard.” It was Easter-time…a time when the sun typically began warming the earth and tulips emerged. Outside my window a cherry tree with long, thin branches swayed in the wind. The branches loaded with [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sons-suicide-reorders-familys-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Visiting a Loved One&#8217;s Graves</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=visiting-a-loved-ones-graves</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=visiting-a-loved-ones-graves#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:02:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Pesmen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41686</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I was making lunch plans with a friend last week, she said she couldn&#8217;t meet Tuesday because it was her late husband&#8217;s birthday and she was going to visit him at his grave. I was touched because she said &#8220;visit him at his grave.&#8221;  I know this is a pilgrimage she makes on their anniversary, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=visiting-a-loved-ones-graves/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Supporting Military Families After Combat Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=supporting-military-families-after-combat-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=supporting-military-families-after-combat-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:50:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ami Neiberger-Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Personalities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41682</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The devastating loss of 30 military service members in Afghanistan has left more than 300 people grieving the death of someone they love. Many people, even if they do not personally know the families of those who died, want to know how to express their condolences and support the families left behind. Reaching out to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=supporting-military-families-after-combat-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Father Learns to &#8216;Walk On&#8217; after Daughter&#8217;s Drowning</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=father-learns-to-walk-on-after-daughters-drowning</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=father-learns-to-walk-on-after-daughters-drowning#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:00:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Patrick J. Murphy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41671</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Margaret Olivia Murphy arrived in the world in the typical manner on December 30, 2004, and she drowned on a float trip on May 24, 2009.  Although dreadfully limited in quantity, Margot’s 1,972 days on earth had a special velocity to them as she made an enduring impression on countless people and places. Her curled [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=father-learns-to-walk-on-after-daughters-drowning/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why Ask Questions About Your Grief Journey?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=why-ask-questions-about-your-grief-journey</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=why-ask-questions-about-your-grief-journey#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:12:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41667</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently had the honor of being the opening keynote speaker for this year&#8217;s national gathering of the Bereaved Parents of the USA.  I spoke about the evolution of my grief and observations and lessons learned during the past eight-plus years that have helped me adjust to the reality of life without the physical presence of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=why-ask-questions-about-your-grief-journey/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Splendor to Offset the Gloom&#8217; &#8211; Even After Childloss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=splendor-to-offset-the-gloom-even-after-childloss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=splendor-to-offset-the-gloom-even-after-childloss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:20:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John French</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41648</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I miss my son, beyond imagining. Compounded by the memories that continue to amass. Additionally, the past has become a Menagerie. Expounded by moments that have already passed. As Time moves on, slow and emphatically. I can not bare to consider how long I might last. Because the loneliness is so immense, it is staggering. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=splendor-to-offset-the-gloom-even-after-childloss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Grief Is, What it Isn&#8217;t</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-grief-is-what-it-isnt</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-grief-is-what-it-isnt#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Aug 2011 08:01:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41629</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Grief doesn’t wait for an invitation. It doesn’t go away because you want it to. It always overstays its welcome. It isn’t logical or easily explained. It doesn’t respond to threats or bribes. It will not be avoided indefinitely. It will find a way to be noticed. Grief is not linear, horizontal, or vertical. It [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-grief-is-what-it-isnt/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Challenges of Relocation Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-challenges-of-relocation-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-challenges-of-relocation-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2011 08:00:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41601</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Relocation grief.  I feel it already, though I won’t move for at least four years.  When I look out the kitchen window at the apple trees, birds flying back and forth, and visiting wildlife, including deer, turkeys, and pheasant, I feel a sense of loss. My husband and I have already reserved a unit at [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-challenges-of-relocation-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Making the Decision to Look for the Good in Life</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=making-the-decision-to-look-for-the-good-in-life</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=making-the-decision-to-look-for-the-good-in-life#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:04:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cindy Shufflebarger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41622</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After my daughter’s death, I was tempted to crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head and sleep my pain away.  Part of me wanted the world the stop. But I had two other young children to care for, and knew that option wouldn’t be good for them or me.  Yet, I was devastated.  [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=making-the-decision-to-look-for-the-good-in-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Facing Your Wedding Day Without A Parent</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=facing-your-wedding-day-without-a-parent</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=facing-your-wedding-day-without-a-parent#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:55:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gemini Adams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41616</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I will be getting married in a month. This is undoubtedly an occasion I am excited about and one that seems to have taken forever to arrive, not least because I am turning 38 this December and my fiancé will hit the 50 mark in October, and neither of us have been married before. Since [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=facing-your-wedding-day-without-a-parent/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Norway Killings: The &#8216;Why&#8217; Lingers</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=norway-killings-the-why-lingers</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=norway-killings-the-why-lingers#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2011 08:50:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41613</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I first heard the news about the senseless murders in Norway, my thoughts immediately went to the survivors of the murdered people: the shock, the disbelief, the surreal  feelings they must be experiencing.   Followed by the questions, why, who, why, why, why!   Fortunately, the who has been answered. The why will linger for weeks [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=norway-killings-the-why-lingers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Wish You Were Here&#8217;: Friend&#8217;s Death Stirs Deep Emotions</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=wish-you-were-here-friends-death-stirs-emotions</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=wish-you-were-here-friends-death-stirs-emotions#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:10:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Heather Arbuckle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Friend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41604</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had just returned from a visit back home to Iowa. It was the first morning after a long drive back to Texas, and I was pouting. I missed my friends. I missed my family. Every thought seemed to beckon me home like a postcard reading, “Wish you were here.”  Still, vacation was over and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=wish-you-were-here-friends-death-stirs-emotions/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Father&#8217;s Death Helps Woman Find God and Vocation</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-death-helps-woman-find-god-and-vocation</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-death-helps-woman-find-god-and-vocation#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jul 2011 08:34:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Heidi Gessner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41598</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am the Palliative Care Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator for The University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My interest in working with the dying and bereaved began with my own father’s illness and death in 1994. My story is one of transformation, when for the first time God’s presence was palpable. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-death-helps-woman-find-god-and-vocation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mass Murder in Norway Triggers Anticipatory Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mass-murder-in-norway-triggers-anticipatory-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mass-murder-in-norway-triggers-anticipatory-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:37:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41584</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The recent murders of innocent children and adults in Oslo, Norway, are a national tragedy.  Like September 11th, this tragedy causes anticipatory grief.  Usually we associate anticipatory grief with the failing health of a family member, friend, or pet.  But anticipatory grief can affect an entire population. Anticipatory grief is a feeling of loss before [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mass-murder-in-norway-triggers-anticipatory-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Forgiving Killers is a Process</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=forgiving-killers-is-a-process</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=forgiving-killers-is-a-process#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:25:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Westra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41595</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[They were just faces to me. I wouldn’t make eye contact. Instead I focused on their clothes . . . grey-white sweatshirts, denim shirts, jeans, white sneakers. They didn’t look like inmates, more like janitors to me. I was invited to the medium-security facility in a program of restorative justice sponsored by the University of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=forgiving-killers-is-a-process/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Compassion is Most Important Value for Helping Others</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=compassion-is-most-important-value-for-helping-others</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=compassion-is-most-important-value-for-helping-others#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:13:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ligia Houben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41580</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently attended the 33rd conference of ADEC (The Thanatology Association), which this year was combined with the International Conference on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society. The conference was held in my hometown of Miami, Florida. The information and education I received throughout the week was just wonderful. I attended many workshops and confirmed [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=compassion-is-most-important-value-for-helping-others/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Faded Images, Sacred Days</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=faded-images-sacred-days</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=faded-images-sacred-days#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:38:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laurel Rund</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41577</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I look around me today, I see my life in all its colors.   But, there seems to be a film noir running in the background of my mind, and I hear a faint clickity-clack as the movie reel turns. Some familiar scene, object or event triggers my memory to push forward – out of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=faded-images-sacred-days/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Even mass tragedy should be personal</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=even-mass-tragedy-should-be-personal</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=even-mass-tragedy-should-be-personal#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2011 04:19:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kyle Shelton</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hope]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Multiple Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41588</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In recent months I&#8217;ve watched tragedy unfold far away from me, in places like Norway and Japan, and very close to me in my home state of Alabama. As I watched the loss of life, I revisited my own personal loss and the way I view the loss of people I don&#8217;t even know. I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=even-mass-tragedy-should-be-personal/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tune Out Those Who Don&#8217;t Know How to Help</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=41569</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=41569#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:17:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Pesmen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41569</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While chatting with a new acquaintance seated beside me at a dinner party, I learned her adult son died one year ago.&#160; Knowing what a terrible loss that is, and understanding that most people never recover from it, I said, &#8220;I&#8217;m so sorry. There is really nothing anyone can say to make you feel better, but please know [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=41569/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Years After Child-Loss, Mother Still Grieves, but &#8216;Moves Forward&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=years-after-child-loss-mother-still-grieves-but-moves-forward</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=years-after-child-loss-mother-still-grieves-but-moves-forward#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:39:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Maria Malin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41559</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Time. It is not always on our side, especially in the grieving process. Since losing my son eight years ago, I’ve heard many well-meaning folks tell me how much “time” I should be taking to heal. One month? Absurd. One year? A common marker, but certainly not common for everyone. We are told, “It’s time [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=years-after-child-loss-mother-still-grieves-but-moves-forward/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Three Ds of Dealing with Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-three-ds-of-dealing-with-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-three-ds-of-dealing-with-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jul 2011 08:34:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41556</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It will soon be two years since my dear sister was murdered.  Two years. Sometimes it seems like forever, yet most days, it seems like only yesterday.    Over the last two years, I have worked very hard on myself.  I have learned patience. I have learned to really not sweat the small stuff.  I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-three-ds-of-dealing-with-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Coping with Anxiety in Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=coping-with-anxiety-in-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=coping-with-anxiety-in-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:25:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41552</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a reader: I was wondering if anyone else has experienced panic attacks following the death of a loved one? My mom passed away just over a year ago, and I&#8217;ve found that since then I have become prone to getting significant anxiety/panic attacks. I&#8217;ve always been a bit of an anxious person, but [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=coping-with-anxiety-in-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Life Begins with &#8216;One Good Moment&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-life-begins-with-one-good-moment</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-life-begins-with-one-good-moment#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:27:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ron Villano</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41272</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Had this happened a few years ago, it would have been a  devastating moment. I look back on the years since I lost my 17-year old son, Michael, and I see so many important moments.  All of them are a part of an incredible journey &#8212; a journey that led me to a special and incredible [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-life-begins-with-one-good-moment/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grandma’s Last Words</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grandma%e2%80%99s-last-words</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grandma%e2%80%99s-last-words#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:41:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Heather Arbuckle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Grandparent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41531</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“You’ve always been strong-willed.” Grandma’s words stung as my wounded heart wilted for a moment. Searching for understanding, I shared my dismay at her characterization of me, her oldest grandchild, and asked her to explain. “It’s not a bad thing,” she clarified. “Ever since you were a little girl, you knew what you believed. And [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grandma%e2%80%99s-last-words/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The &#8216;Elephant&#8217; That is Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-elephant-that-is-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-elephant-that-is-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 01:32:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41529</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last night I dreamt someone let an elephant into our home. I couldn’t get him out of the house but I tricked him into the basement by opening the door and throwing some food down. But people kept leaving the door open and there he would be again staring me down. I kept getting frustrated [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-elephant-that-is-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Does Jesus Like Chocolate?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-jesus-like-chocolate</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-jesus-like-chocolate#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:19:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lizzy Miles</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Acquaintance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41293</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[She was staring at the glass of chocolate Ensure.  “Annie” didn’t like chocolate but was so devout in her Catholicism that she did not want to offend Jesus.  She looked up at me and asked, “Does Jesus like chocolate?”  It was such a funny question and I stifled a laugh, because I knew she was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-jesus-like-chocolate/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Does Your Faith Condemn You or Sustain You?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-your-faith-condemn-you-or-sustain-you</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-your-faith-condemn-you-or-sustain-you#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:40:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Maureen Hunter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41456</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When someone we love dies, especially at a young age or by violent means, our whole belief system often gets a massive shake up. The certainty that we once knew has gone. That foundation we depended on is no longer stable and true. We find ourselves in a strangely altered new world. Our faith becomes [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-your-faith-condemn-you-or-sustain-you/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Can One Do with an Empty Cup?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-can-one-do-with-an-empty-cup</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-can-one-do-with-an-empty-cup#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:33:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41453</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I feel like I have nothing left to give. I feel like everything has been taken from me.  I don’t even know where or how to begin again. Everything and some days even everyone drains me. If this isn’t the bottom, I am afraid of what is. The emptiness of grief.  The feelings of grief.  [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-can-one-do-with-an-empty-cup/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Loss of a Twin has Huge Impact</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=loss-of-a-twin-has-huge-impact</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=loss-of-a-twin-has-huge-impact#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:13:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Linda Pountney</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41449</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  Susan Heim, a writer for Chicken Soup For The Soul, asked me to write an article for a twin publication on bereavement geared to the parents of twins. At first it seemed unsuitable for twins to hear about the possibility of an untimely death of their twin. This column appeared in Triplets, Moms and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=loss-of-a-twin-has-huge-impact/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pain May be an Ally in Our Grief Journeys</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=pain-may-be-an-ally-in-our-grief-journeys</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=pain-may-be-an-ally-in-our-grief-journeys#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:03:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41446</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I think if we all had a choice, we would want to live our lives without emotional pain. Considering that we do not live in a Utopian society, the avoidance of pain is impossible. Pain and loss is and always will be a part of our existence.  Many bereaved individuals that I know have been [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=pain-may-be-an-ally-in-our-grief-journeys/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dreams Move the Grieving Process Along</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dreams-move-the-grieving-process-along</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dreams-move-the-grieving-process-along#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:47:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ellen Besso</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41442</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I began preparing myself for my mother’s departure a long time ago, even before she came to live in our community so that we could support her. Occasional dreams appeared in which I or we (my partner and daughter) had to save my Mom; in those dreams she was called “Little Mommy.” Often water would [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dreams-move-the-grieving-process-along/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Casey Anthony Verdict Stirs Fears in Sister of Murdered Woman</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=casey-anthony-verdict-stirs-fears-in-sister-of-murdered-woman</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=casey-anthony-verdict-stirs-fears-in-sister-of-murdered-woman#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jul 2011 08:32:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41440</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like many people this past week, I heard the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial.  I did not follow the trial closely so I really don’t know what evidence was presented.  I do know that I have read much of the evidence was circumstantial.  With my sister’s murder trial postponed for the 7th time recently, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=casey-anthony-verdict-stirs-fears-in-sister-of-murdered-woman/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Volunteering for Hospice Brings Us Close to God</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=volunteering-for-hospice-brings-us-close-to-god</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=volunteering-for-hospice-brings-us-close-to-god#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Jul 2011 08:26:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41435</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don’t think there is anything more gratifying than working with hospice. A few years after my son’s death, I decided to sign up for the training sessions, which surprisingly many people do in my position. I had started to write about my son and felt that working with hospice would be a good fit [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=volunteering-for-hospice-brings-us-close-to-god/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grief Educator Struggles with his Own Losses</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-the-landscape-of-loss-lingers</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-the-landscape-of-loss-lingers#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Jul 2011 02:16:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James P. Krehbiel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41386</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Within the period of three months, I lost three loved ones.  Two of them died three days apart.  Although I knew the end was iminent within each situation, my knowledge and anticipation did not soothe me &#8211; it only served to bring me closer to the inevitability of my own mortality. Some say that God [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-the-landscape-of-loss-lingers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Starting a Support Group in a Small Town</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=starting-a-support-group-in-a-small-town</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=starting-a-support-group-in-a-small-town#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:39:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41310</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a Reader: Do you have any ideas/resources for starting a parent support group? I live in a very small town. We have recently had several of our young people pass away, including my own son who was killed in an auto accident on Mother&#8217;s Day of this year.  I have no idea how [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=starting-a-support-group-in-a-small-town/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Negotiating with God, Dreaming of Chocolate Cake</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=negotiating-with-god-dreaming-of-chocolate-cake</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=negotiating-with-god-dreaming-of-chocolate-cake#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:12:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lizzy Miles</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41290</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The first time I met “Gary,” we ended up talking for over two hours.  He was in his late 60s and had throat cancer, evidenced by a protruding plum-sized tumor on his neck which he covered with turtlenecks.  He explained his spiritual beliefs and told me he wasn’t afraid to die.  In fact, when he [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=negotiating-with-god-dreaming-of-chocolate-cake/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sibling Bonds</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sibling-bonds</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sibling-bonds#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:22:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tabitha Jayne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poems and Reviews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41362</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You are my brother and always will be Not even death can take that away from me. The love we share is everlasting A bond that can never be broken. &#160; I hate saying I miss you but It´s true.  Every day. The fights, the chats, the small things Mean even more now they´re gone. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sibling-bonds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Hardest Thing is &#8230; Everything</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-hardest-thing-is-everything</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-hardest-thing-is-everything#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:21:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40860</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The hardest thing is everything and the thing I’ll miss most is everything… Wife of man who just died in plane crash Many of us feel this way after the death of a loved one.  Some day’s one thing may seem the hardest; coming home to an empty house, other days going to bed alone, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-hardest-thing-is-everything/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Independence from Burnout</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=independence-from-burnout</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=independence-from-burnout#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Jul 2011 08:21:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Simington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41275</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[BURNOUT can be described as an erosion of the soul, a feeling that regardless of what a person does, they cannot make a difference in their workplace. Burnout is often accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, a loss of motivation, and a sense of mismatch between what is being required and what the person is capable [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=independence-from-burnout/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Walking Forward, Holding onto the Memories</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=walking-forward-holding-on-to-the-memories</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=walking-forward-holding-on-to-the-memories#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jul 2011 08:07:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Linda Duncum</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41255</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Through all the death I have seen, and all the grieving that I have done over my lifetime, the hardest thing I had to learn to do was keep moving forward in my earth walk. Even though it was hard, and at times I felt I was crawling along on my belly, I had to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=walking-forward-holding-on-to-the-memories/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grief Styles: Women Verbalize, Men Internalize</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=41241</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=41241#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:33:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[For Men Only]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Male styles of grieving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41241</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Spread the diaper in the position of the diamond with you at bat.  Then fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitcher&#8217;s mound.  Put first base and third together, bring up home plate and pin the three together.  Of course, in case of rain, you gotta call the game and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=41241/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Widowhood: The TV Reality Series</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widowhood-the-tv-reality-series</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widowhood-the-tv-reality-series#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:36:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Tidd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41185</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you ever think that the networks are missing out on the ultimate reality series?  What has more drama, sick humor, running mascara, and (sometimes) hair-pulling than widowhood? When I think of the millions that could have been made on my life in the last few years, it seems like such a waste.  Anyone with [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widowhood-the-tv-reality-series/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is My Widowed Mother ‘Moving On’ Too Soon?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=is-my-widowed-mother-%e2%80%98moving-on%e2%80%99-too-soon</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=is-my-widowed-mother-%e2%80%98moving-on%e2%80%99-too-soon#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:30:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40827</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a Reader:  My dad died 11 months ago at the age of 55. My mom is 50 and looks a bit younger. I know she’s a young woman and has lots of life left in her but she’s got a boyfriend! I cannot understand how she can do this. I told her to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=is-my-widowed-mother-%e2%80%98moving-on%e2%80%99-too-soon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Maintaining Friendships After a Spouse-Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=40834</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=40834#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:22:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Tidd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40834</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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&#8230;when friends and family seem to get together more than usual, so friendships and how they change are pretty much “in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=40834/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grieving for Deceased Loved One and Broken Relationship</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-for-deceased-loved-one-and-broken-relationship</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-for-deceased-loved-one-and-broken-relationship#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 08:14:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40864</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Grief comes in many forms, including the feelings associated with death,  anticipatory grief, and self–grief.  During the grieving process, we may also mourn for broken family relationships. My brother was five years older than I.  According to my mother, he was so excited to have a baby sister he asked to stay home from kindergarten [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-for-deceased-loved-one-and-broken-relationship/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grieving Mother-Loss Different for Everyone</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-mother-loss-different-for-everyone</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-mother-loss-different-for-everyone#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:20:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Muscarella</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40844</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“You’re not angry you didn’t spend that time with your mother?” a friend asked me over dinner last night. About six months before my mom died, it was obvious the end was near. In a practical sense, I prepared for my mother’s death. I canceled my study abroad semester in Italy. I acted more responsible [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-mother-loss-different-for-everyone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Playing Hide-and-Seek with Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=40720</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=40720#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:23:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40720</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Probably all of us are familiar with the childhood game of hide and seek.  Some of us have not only played this game ourselves as children but have gone onto play it with our own children and even grandchildren.  Today, as I thought about my own grief and yours, I was reminded of this game [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=40720/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Twin who Died in the Womb Became Guardian Angel</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=twin-who-died-in-the-womb-became-guardian-angel</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=twin-who-died-in-the-womb-became-guardian-angel#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:19:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura Davis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41181</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last fall, I gave my writing students a very powerful exercise taken from the work of Deena Metzger. The basic premise was to choose a traumatic incident from our past—one that changed the course of our lives for the worse—a moment when we felt betrayed or abandoned or alone, a moment when an essential part [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=twin-who-died-in-the-womb-became-guardian-angel/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Love of Family, Friends Fill Vacuum Left by Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=love-of-family-friends-fill-vacuum-left-by-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=love-of-family-friends-fill-vacuum-left-by-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:41:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Linda Duncum</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?post_type=post&#038;p=41109</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Emptiness now fills the spirit of my inner being, The drum beat that has given me life now echoes off of the hollowed walls that once was my heart. My eyes now fill with dust, dried from the many tears that I have dropped upon this earth, only to have been made worse by the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=love-of-family-friends-fill-vacuum-left-by-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cleaning Out the Closet of a Deceased Loved One</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cleaning-out-the-closet-of-a-deceased-loved-one</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cleaning-out-the-closet-of-a-deceased-loved-one#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:32:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Kodanaz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40867</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the longer days of summer upon us, it might be the right time to tackle the organizing of your spouse/partner’s personal belonging. “Cleaning out your closets” presents a significant challenge for most widows – the overwhelming thought of going through your deceased loved ones belongings and trying to decide what do with the items [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cleaning-out-the-closet-of-a-deceased-loved-one/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hospice Comforted During the Worst of Times</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hospice-comforted-during-the-worst-of-times</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hospice-comforted-during-the-worst-of-times#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:38:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Diana Doyle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40852</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We’ve just bought a brand spanking new bedroom setting. Its towering wooden bed head makes me feel so tiny…but like a Princess! Anyway, yesterday, while clearing the space for our new bed, I found hidden under the old bed, a book.  A very very special book. I held it in my hands like a newborn…..and I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hospice-comforted-during-the-worst-of-times/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Not Everyone Benefits from Graveside Visits</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=visiting-a-loved-one%e2%80%99s-grave-is-it-comforting</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=visiting-a-loved-one%e2%80%99s-grave-is-it-comforting#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:36:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40830</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Many years ago, when I was in first grade, my parents and I visited an inner city grave.  It was my brother’s grave, a brother I never knew because he was a premature twin and died two days after he was born.  The other twin survived and I grew up with a brother. While [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=visiting-a-loved-one%e2%80%99s-grave-is-it-comforting/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Father&#8217;s Day Tough for Those Who Lost Child</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-tough-for-those-who-lost-child</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-tough-for-those-who-lost-child#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Jun 2011 08:59:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Fox</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40805</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Happy Father’s Day to all fathers. Today is your day, and I hope you celebrate it with loved ones. Many fathers react differently to this day depending on where they are in their lives; it may be especially difficult for a father who has lost a child. One bereaved father wrote this poem: As this [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-tough-for-those-who-lost-child/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Father&#8217;s Day: Not a Day, but a Legacy</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-not-a-day-but-a-legacy</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-not-a-day-but-a-legacy#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Jun 2011 08:08:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kim Meredith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40787</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My children have passed over the dividing line. They have been alive more years now without their father than they were with him. My daughter Samantha was 12 years old when her father died and Rick was just 10. They were merely children when they had to say goodbye to him after a car accident [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-not-a-day-but-a-legacy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;New Person&#8217; Must Emerge from Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-person-must-emerge-from-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-person-must-emerge-from-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:09:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40701</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most of us have had the experience of buying new clothes that didn’t quite feel right. Perhaps they were a little too tight or too big or the brand-new material was scratchy, not soft like our older things that have had several washings. We may decide not to wear them at all, or we may [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=new-person-must-emerge-from-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>After Mother-Loss, Daughter Struggles with Guilt about Father</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-mother-loss-daughter-struggles-with-guilt-about-father</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-mother-loss-daughter-struggles-with-guilt-about-father#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:22:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Muscarella</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40726</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“I told him he had to get out. It would have been selfish of me to let him stay there,” my friend Claire said about her youngest son, A.J. Claire lost her husband almost a decade ago, after which her 26-year-old son moved home. A.J. promised his father he would take care of his mother, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-mother-loss-daughter-struggles-with-guilt-about-father/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fathers of Faith</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-of-faith</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-of-faith#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:20:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr. Jane R. Westerfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40824</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The hymn, Faith of Our Fathers, inspires the worshipper to be true to our forefathers’ Christian faith and to lead others to Christ through the example we set in our own lives.  As Father’s Day approaches, it is with gratitude to God that I remember those whom we have “loved and lost awhile” as well [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-of-faith/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Support a Grieving Dad</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-support-a-grieving-dad</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-support-a-grieving-dad#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 08:43:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kelly Farley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[For Men Only]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping men deal with loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40712</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I often hear from grieving dads who tell me they feel alone in their grief after the death of their child.  It amazes me that after going through something as profound as the death of a child, that these men feel so alone and isolated.  As much as it amazes me, I can relate because [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-support-a-grieving-dad/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Father&#8217;s Day Brings Fond Memories of &#8216;Grandpop&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-brings-fond-memories-of-grandpop</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-brings-fond-memories-of-grandpop#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:01:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Jane Hurley Brant</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Grandparent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40784</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My Grandpop was a legend in my small hometown mostly because of his many “unusual hobbies” &#8211; like counting how many flies he could swat on a front porch glider on any given August day. As scores of commuters rushed by our house, they regularly shouted, “Hello, Pop, how many flies today?” Grandpop, pushing 90 [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-brings-fond-memories-of-grandpop/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Father&#8217;s Day After the Death of a Brother</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-after-the-death-of-a-brother</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-after-the-death-of-a-brother#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:50:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brenda Marshall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40707</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“You know that story, Finding Nemo?” my 4-year-old nephew asked.  “That’s a story with a happy ending because he gets to find his daddy.”   It was six days since my brother, my nephew&#8217;s father, had died and oh, how my heart broke hearing this simple observation. This will be our 5th Father’s Day without my [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=fathers-day-after-the-death-of-a-brother/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My Teddy Bear Dad</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-teddy-bear-dad</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-teddy-bear-dad#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jun 2011 08:36:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carrie Pike</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40808</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Growing up, I was a little afraid of my dad. He had a bark that was loud and, I thought, fearsome. But as I grew older, I came to realize that he was just a big olʼ teddy bear inside. Twelve years ago, Dadʼs passing inspired me to start a company called Carrie Bears. My [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-teddy-bear-dad/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How &#8216;Forced Change&#8217; Healed My Life</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-forced-change-healed-my-life</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-forced-change-healed-my-life#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jun 2011 08:27:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ron Villano</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40811</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you been forced out of a job?  Are you facing a health issue?  Are you a victim of a crime?  Have you lost a loved one unexpectedly? Then you know that forced change embraces your life in an instant. And that is where my message starts.  I experienced &#8220;forced change&#8221; when my 17-year old [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-forced-change-healed-my-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When a Father Dies on Father&#8217;s Day</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-a-father-dies-on-fathers-day</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-a-father-dies-on-fathers-day#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:17:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nina Bennett</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40629</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My father died on Father’s Day 2007. He had been in apparent good health until the night he was admitted to the hospital. That day, he went through his usual routines-swam a mile at the Y, did some errands, sat on the patio with my mother in the late afternoon. By 11 p.m. he was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-a-father-dies-on-fathers-day/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Yes, You Will Laugh Again</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=yes-you-will-laugh-again</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=yes-you-will-laugh-again#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cathy Seehuetter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40817</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At the opening ceremony of TCF’s National Conference held in 2003, Maria Housden, author of the marvelous book, Hannah’s Gift, was the featured speaker. She began by telling how that morning she had conversed with a man she met on the elevator. When he asked her why she was staying in Atlanta she told him [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=yes-you-will-laugh-again/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Animal Energies Help Make Sense of Grief Process</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=animal-energies-help-make-sense-of-grief-process</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=animal-energies-help-make-sense-of-grief-process#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:34:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40814</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since my daughter Jeannine&#8217;s death over eight years ago, I learned that the only thing I could control was the present. Doing this made it easier to allow the universe to take care of my future.  However, I have recently begun to discover the role of the past in enhancing my quality of life in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=animal-energies-help-make-sense-of-grief-process/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In Widow&#8217;s World, Living With Purpose is Hard</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-widows-world-living-with-purpose-is-hard</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-widows-world-living-with-purpose-is-hard#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:40:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christine Thiele</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40793</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-widows-world-living-with-purpose-is-hard/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Recipes Link Her to Mother-in-Law, Memories</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=recipes-link-her-to-mother-in-law-memories</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=recipes-link-her-to-mother-in-law-memories#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:35:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40781</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After my mother-in-law died, I received her copy of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer. No other family members wanted the book, which surprised me, so it became mine. Over the years, she used the book as a file, and tucked clippings and recipe booklets in its pages. She also added [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=recipes-link-her-to-mother-in-law-memories/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grieving with my twin</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-with-my-twin</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-with-my-twin#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jun 2011 04:29:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40804</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My name is Lori, and I have an identical twin sister named Lisa. When we were just 16 years old, due to medical problems, Lisa was told she would never have her own children. Through a miracle, she became pregnant and had a beautiful son named Jacob. Lisa was a single mom and I had [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-with-my-twin/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In Grief, Words Matter</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-grief-words-matter</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-grief-words-matter#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jun 2011 08:34:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40766</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In grief, many words are bandied about: denial, acceptance, healing, closure, forget, move on, recover, acknowledge, anger, and guilt. These words are thrown at us, sometimes in our face, by others. These others may mean well, but their effect is usually the opposite. These others are often just misinformed individuals, trying to help. They don’t [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-grief-words-matter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Shoot Me, Please&#8217;: The Right to Die</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=shoot-me-please-the-right-to-die</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=shoot-me-please-the-right-to-die#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:08:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Stan Goldberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40757</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[He pleaded with me to shoot him and the request wasn’t figurative. He was my first patient as a hospice volunteer in San Francisco. That moment, eight years ago, still haunts me. Not because I was confronted with a real life decision of immense consequences, but rather because I knew that I couldn’t honor his [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=shoot-me-please-the-right-to-die/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Heartbreaking Events Followed by Extreme Growth&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hearbreaking-events-followed-by-extreme-growth</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hearbreaking-events-followed-by-extreme-growth#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:51:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40730</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why us? There seems to be an invisible cord that connects parents who have lost children. I can’t tell you how many times I’ll be in line at the post office or in a store and someone will mention to their friend about the child they lost. The other day I was at the grocery [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hearbreaking-events-followed-by-extreme-growth/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Death Anniversary Dates Can Carry Heavy Weight</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=death-anniversary-dates-can-carry-heavy-weight</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=death-anniversary-dates-can-carry-heavy-weight#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 08:05:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kathryn Williams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40717</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dates come and go, but certain ones stick out and carry a dark and heavy weight. The energy of these particular dates are associated with a loss.  This anniversary date forces you into a time warp charged with painful memories of the horrid event.  How can you free yourself from this emotionally exhaustive annual pain? [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=death-anniversary-dates-can-carry-heavy-weight/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Thoughts -life of a suicide</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=thoughts-life-of-a-suicide</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=thoughts-life-of-a-suicide#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 May 2011 02:43:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40779</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My Brother Jason died from suicide about 11 years ago,I wrote a book about his suicide and the afterlife and working in the mental health field]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=thoughts-life-of-a-suicide/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>One man strugle to put his life back together</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=one-man-strugle-to-put-his-life-back-together</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=one-man-strugle-to-put-his-life-back-together#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 May 2011 01:10:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40778</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I mediate on the past event of what occurred in my life, I wonder if there was not a God could I have survived this devastation. So many times I wanted to give up and just say enough is enough I don’t need all this stress and pain in my life. But because of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=one-man-strugle-to-put-his-life-back-together/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Brianna I  just want to wake up and see you</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=brianna-i-just-want-to-wake-up-and-see-you</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=brianna-i-just-want-to-wake-up-and-see-you#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 May 2011 10:41:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40777</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My daughter always woke me up by climbing into bed with me, wiggling her toes into me, and touching her nose to mine. Then when I opened my eyes she would break into this smile wrinkle her nose and laugh, some times so hard she would snort which would make both of us laugh harder. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=brianna-i-just-want-to-wake-up-and-see-you/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Boarders Without Borders: How New Events Trigger Old Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=boarders-without-borders-how-new-events-trigger-old-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=boarders-without-borders-how-new-events-trigger-old-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 May 2011 08:59:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joan Haskins</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Multiple Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40754</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever had an unseen boarder that caused emotional turmoil, penetrating all of your carefully closeted borders and refusing to leave? Only recently did I recognize unresolved grief as an emotional boarder that relentlessly hung on for too many years.  Now that I am nearing life’s sunset, some of my daily patterns have begun [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=boarders-without-borders-how-new-events-trigger-old-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Widow Learning to &#8216;Just Be&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-learning-to-just-be</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-learning-to-just-be#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 May 2011 08:10:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laurel Rund</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40733</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;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 [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-learning-to-just-be/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My fiance died four days ago</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-fiance-died-four-days-ago</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-fiance-died-four-days-ago#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 May 2011 14:59:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40776</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Four days ago my fiance, Bob, died of a heart attack. We were true soul mates, for lack of a less cliched phrase. We had so much in common it was like we were twins. We had only been together for eight months, but after only a few months of dating became engaged. Every day [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-fiance-died-four-days-ago/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hats Off to a World War II Vet</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hats-off-to-a-world-war-ii-vet</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hats-off-to-a-world-war-ii-vet#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 May 2011 17:33:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Jane Hurley Brant</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Acquaintance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40772</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yesterday was a wonderful day. While standing in line at the pharmacy, the gentleman behind me smiled. I don’t go to the CVS to make friends, but somehow yesterday I did. This older fellow’s smile, along with his vet’s hat, was engaging. He looked too young to have been in WWII so I asked him. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hats-off-to-a-world-war-ii-vet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>After Hospice Experience, Woman Volunteers</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-hospice-experience-woman-volunteers</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-hospice-experience-woman-volunteers#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 May 2011 08:35:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kimberly Wencl</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Multiple Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40697</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had been thinking about becoming a hospice volunteer for a while.  It would come to me as a passing thought every now and then. I would consider it for a bit and then put aside.  Little did I know just how soon and how clearly my indecision would be reconciled. Our local hospice house [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=after-hospice-experience-woman-volunteers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What To Do With a Loved One&#8217;s Possessions?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-to-do-with-a-loved-ones-possessions</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-to-do-with-a-loved-ones-possessions#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 May 2011 08:20:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40686</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What to do with your loved one&#8217;s possessions? Less than two months after my sister’s murder, her 24-year-old daughter (my niece) called and asked for my help.   My sister owned her home and the insurance company would pay for a total restoration; however, everything had to be removed from the home before the restoration could [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-to-do-with-a-loved-ones-possessions/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mother&#8217;s New Normal Includes Memories, Laughter, and Pain</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-new-normal-includes-memories-laughter-and-pain</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-new-normal-includes-memories-laughter-and-pain#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 08:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura Klouzek</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To borrow a few words from Huey Lewis, “The power of love is a curious thing”. Love, the ultimate emotion, has been the subject of songs, poems, and books for centuries. This elusive feeling has the power to make people laugh, cry, lose their temper, become violent, become humbled, and return for more. How is [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-new-normal-includes-memories-laughter-and-pain/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The End of Winter Sometimes Comes Slowly</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-end-of-winter-sometimes-comes-slowly</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-end-of-winter-sometimes-comes-slowly#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 08:31:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40676</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever noticed that it&#8217;s hard to tell when winter really ends and spring begins? Just when it seems all the snow has melted and that there hasn’t been any falling for awhile, we get hit with more. Sometimes, it’s just a little and hardly lasts long at all. Sometimes it’s a blizzard and that [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-end-of-winter-sometimes-comes-slowly/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tornado Losses Include People, Homes, Memories</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=tornado-losses-include-people-homes-memories</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=tornado-losses-include-people-homes-memories#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2011 16:54:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Berger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40763</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Watching on TV the havoc wrought by the tornadoes in Missouri and Oklahoma reminded me of how destructive natural disasters can be to those affected by them.  Not only were many lives lost – wives, husbands, children, parents, pets  – but also homes, schools, hospitals, entire neighborhoods. Think about the memories contained in all of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=tornado-losses-include-people-homes-memories/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Active Grieving Can Return Hope After Child-Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=active-grieving-can-return-hope-after-child-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=active-grieving-can-return-hope-after-child-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2011 08:54:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40680</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why is change so daunting? Thinking about a transition when we are perfectly settled in our comfort zone is overwhelming at times. Sometimes, when our lives suddenly take a turn, we are like the unwilling family dog going to the kennel, being dragged by a taut leash into a new situation, our feet firmly planted [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=active-grieving-can-return-hope-after-child-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>forest for the trees</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=forest-for-the-trees</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=forest-for-the-trees#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2011 11:36:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40753</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Don’t lose sight of the big picture There’s a saying about not being able to see the forest for the trees. Grief to me sometimes can feel like that. You can’t see the future for the present and in this moment you are filled with the biggest sadness and emptiness humanly possible. Grief has somehow [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=forest-for-the-trees/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Compassion Fatigue When Helping Others</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=compassion-fatigue-when-helping-others</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=compassion-fatigue-when-helping-others#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2011 08:48:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kim Go</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40673</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Compassion fatigue is a term often applied to medical personnel providing support to those facing traumatic circumstances. This powerful term can be applied to numerous alternate settings. The setting that I would like to apply it to is the act of peer caregiving for the bereaved. There can be tremendous or hidden stress as a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=compassion-fatigue-when-helping-others/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Keep Contact With Children Through Prayer Registry</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=keep-contact-with-children-through-prayer-registry</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=keep-contact-with-children-through-prayer-registry#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 May 2011 08:38:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sheri Perl</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40670</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I lost my son Danny on July 1, 2008, to an overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs. He was 22 years old, a beautiful mountain of a kid with his whole life ahead of him, gone in an instant due to an error in judgment. In the last two and a half years since that [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=keep-contact-with-children-through-prayer-registry/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>It&#8217;s OK to Be Angry!</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=its-ok-to-be-angry</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=its-ok-to-be-angry#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 May 2011 08:08:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Maureen Hunter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40666</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I grew up in a house of emotionless beings. There was a scarcity of extreme reactions to anything. Emotions seemed to be secreted away inside ourselves and never allowed out to &#8220;play&#8221;.  In the 60s, life revolved around the practicalities of living, not emotions.  Teachers ruled with an iron fist. You learnt by rote and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=its-ok-to-be-angry/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>you asked me to let go daddy, I miss you</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=you-asked-me-to-let-go-daddy-i-miss-you</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=you-asked-me-to-let-go-daddy-i-miss-you#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 May 2011 02:50:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40725</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Im mad, Im sad, Im numb, I want my dad to call me and tell me everything is going to be ok. I never thought Id have to let go, I never understood how tired he really was, I hate myself for asking him to fight the cancer. I was so selfish and Im still [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=you-asked-me-to-let-go-daddy-i-miss-you/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Our Children are Always With Us in Spirit</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=our-children-are-always-with-us-in-spirit</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=our-children-are-always-with-us-in-spirit#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 May 2011 08:35:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Fox</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40655</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make. Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love. Leo Buscaglia I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=our-children-are-always-with-us-in-spirit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My Experience With Hospice Care</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-experience-with-hospice-care</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-experience-with-hospice-care#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 May 2011 08:37:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Paula Ezop</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40250</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-experience-with-hospice-care/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>An incredible love</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=an-incredible-love</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=an-incredible-love#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 May 2011 00:40:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40724</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was 1991 when I first met Peggy, my surgical oncologist’s nurse. She was a small framed woman in her late forties, no taller than 5’2”. With every visit, she greeted me with a warm hug and an even warmer smile. Little did I know that behind that grace filled smile was a woman battling [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=an-incredible-love/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Therapy is Working for this First-Timer</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=therapy-is-working-for-this-first-timer</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=therapy-is-working-for-this-first-timer#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2011 08:45:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michelle Gallucci</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40216</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Spring is in the air, Easter and Passover have been celebrated with family and friends, but that special someone’s chair will be unoccupied. Having someone to talk to is the most important piece in healing. As for me, I’m a closed book. I rarely talk about my feelings; most of the time people come to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=therapy-is-working-for-this-first-timer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hospice Employee Experiences the Other Side</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hospice-employee-experiences-the-other-side</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hospice-employee-experiences-the-other-side#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 May 2011 08:03:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40224</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For the past ten years, hospice has been a huge part of my life and its impact on me has been immense. I have worked all of that time in one agency as a hospice social worker or bereavement coordinator.  I have been privileged to be a part of patients and families lives before the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hospice-employee-experiences-the-other-side/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Widow Fears Sharing Thoughts of Suicide</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-fears-sharing-thoughts-of-suicide</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-fears-sharing-thoughts-of-suicide#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 May 2011 08:47:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40210</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a Reader: I know I&#8217;ve heard plenty of times that it is normal for &#8216;grievers&#8217; to feel despondent and wish to be with their spouse who has passed on. But, it doesn&#8217;t feel like it&#8217;s normal to me because I don&#8217;t want to live any more, although I am not going to do [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-fears-sharing-thoughts-of-suicide/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is it OK to Feel Joy During the Grief Process?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=is-it-ok-to-feel-joy-during-the-grief-process</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=is-it-ok-to-feel-joy-during-the-grief-process#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2011 08:42:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40206</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The journey after the death of a loved one is emotionally draining and physically exhausting, particularly in the early stages of grief (which I see as minimally, two years).  It is also easy to feel some guilt because of the moments of joy we do experience during early grief.  We may question whether it is [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=is-it-ok-to-feel-joy-during-the-grief-process/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Snow and Sibling-Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=snow-and-sibling-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=snow-and-sibling-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 May 2011 08:58:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Evan Rieger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40219</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Snow fell from the cold winter skies when my beloved sister was buried.  Miniature, delicate snowflakes seemed so out of place in the cemetery filled with grief, tears and darkness.  I stared into the sky, away from the casket, and became completely captivated by the gorgeous snowfall.  I needed something to distract my mind, even [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=snow-and-sibling-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>I want my daddy back</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-want-my-daddy-back</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-want-my-daddy-back#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 May 2011 17:17:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40648</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-want-my-daddy-back/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Turning Over a New Faith</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=turning-over-a-new-faith</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=turning-over-a-new-faith#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 May 2011 08:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Quiles</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40200</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today, some have seriously thought of exchanging a theology once handed down to them by family members for another belief system that in their minds can better tackle the questions that accompany pain. God, as they understand God, just doesn’t seem to ease the emotional and mental anguish brought about by unexpected and vicious events. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=turning-over-a-new-faith/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Walking Backwards into the Future</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=walking-backwards-into-the-future</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=walking-backwards-into-the-future#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 May 2011 08:35:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>KimBoo York</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40192</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mistakes haunt us. Regrets torment us. Grief – for any loss – rips at us. We pick at these wounds hoping for miraculous healing. We study them, trying to figure out what went wrong. We relive them in our minds over and over looking for what we could have done differently. We waste years staring [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=walking-backwards-into-the-future/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dreams of Death, Thoughts that Empower</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dreams-of-death-thoughts-that-empower</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dreams-of-death-thoughts-that-empower#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 May 2011 08:16:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Stoller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I write this story, it is Easter Sunday 2011, a point that I pray will not be relevant to anyone reading this in the weeks and months to come. Before my late son was born, I began to have a series of dreams that I call the “Royal” dreams, because they had something to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dreams-of-death-thoughts-that-empower/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Heart Remembers</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-heart-remembers</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-heart-remembers#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2011 08:08:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debra Reagan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40149</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In Loving Memory of My Son, Clint, 1885-2005 The heart remembers even when we aren&#8217;t actively thinking about our child.  It was 51/2 years since our son had died of a drug overdose.  The thoughts weren&#8217;t in front of my face all the time, and the weight wasn&#8217;t so heavy on my shoulders.  I was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-heart-remembers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Orioles and Wood Ducks: Birds of Hope</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=orioles-and-wood-ducks-birds-of-hope</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=orioles-and-wood-ducks-birds-of-hope#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 May 2011 08:32:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Westra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40137</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I never used to pay much attention to the birds. To me, they were just little brown blobs I’d notice from the corner of my eye while I was flitting to the garage, to the garbage can, or to the mailbox. A busy mom, I didn’t have time to stop and look. Then, when my [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=orioles-and-wood-ducks-birds-of-hope/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Griefing for the loss of my wife</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=griefing-for-the-loss-of-my-wife</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=griefing-for-the-loss-of-my-wife#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 06:53:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40213</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My late wife Ely passed away on March 19 after a long illness suffering from Cardiomyopathy. We have been together for almost 30 years and have never seperated. Since her death, I almost went to the graveyard to visit her everyday in spite of looking at the slideshow at home all day of all the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=griefing-for-the-loss-of-my-wife/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Returning to the Hospital Stirs Fears, Hopes</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=returning-to-the-hospital-stirs-fears-hopes</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=returning-to-the-hospital-stirs-fears-hopes#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 08:24:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Tidd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40134</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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&#8230;or just in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=returning-to-the-hospital-stirs-fears-hopes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mother Finds Comfort Saying Daughter&#8217;s Name</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mother-finds-comfort-saying-daughters-name</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mother-finds-comfort-saying-daughters-name#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2011 08:04:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40129</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Few ask how I&#8217;m doing these days. Friends have resumed their lives and so have I. Today, I&#8217;m living a new, meaningful and happy life. Yet there are times when the pain of losing my daughter in 2007 hits without warning. Suddenly, I am transported back in time and see terrible images from the hospital [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mother-finds-comfort-saying-daughters-name/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Gift of Forgiveness for Mother’s and Father’s Day</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-gift-of-forgiveness-for-mother%e2%80%99s-and-father%e2%80%99s-day</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-gift-of-forgiveness-for-mother%e2%80%99s-and-father%e2%80%99s-day#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2011 08:21:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robin Edgar</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40006</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For many, the Mother’s and Father’s Day tradition is a welcome way to celebrate the meaningful lessons your parents taught you by deed or example. For those who are estranged from parents, this can be a time of tension and unhappiness. It can also hinder the grief process when someone harbors unresolved issues with someone they [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-gift-of-forgiveness-for-mother%e2%80%99s-and-father%e2%80%99s-day/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mums, Daughters and Mother&#8217;s Day</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mums-daughters-and-mothers-day</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mums-daughters-and-mothers-day#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2011 15:48:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Diana Doyle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40197</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I was growing up, I thought my mum was the most beautiful mother in the world!  I would sit in our bathroom, cross-legged on a white fluffy stool and gaze at her as she applied her make-up. I was fascinated, watching her dip her cosmetic brush into the sink water, then she’d dab the brush into her charcoal Estee [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mums-daughters-and-mothers-day/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Creating a Community of Grievers</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=creating-a-community-of-grievers</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=creating-a-community-of-grievers#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2011 08:50:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Muscarella</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40122</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s not what you say; it’s what you do. Every now and then, I smack my head for saying the dumbest thing. ”I should have said this not that,” I exult. Since I write http://mamaquest.org, a blog about losing my mother, and run http://trauma2art.com, a site about creative expression after loss, I should know exactly [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=creating-a-community-of-grievers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mother&#8217;s Day Flowers Keep Showing Up</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-day-flowers-keep-showing-up</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-day-flowers-keep-showing-up#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2011 16:27:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40185</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Mother’s Day flowers still arrive every Saturday afternoon from the local florist shop. Before I had children, my mother always sent flowers to me because, she said, she wouldn’t be a mother without me. Years later, as another Mother’s Day approached, I had a baby to go with the day and planned an ocean-side [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-day-flowers-keep-showing-up/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Sudden Truth: Living After the Death of Your Spouse</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-sudden-truth-living-after-the-death-of-your-spouse</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-sudden-truth-living-after-the-death-of-your-spouse#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2011 16:13:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carl Mathis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40158</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-sudden-truth-living-after-the-death-of-your-spouse/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Heaven Bound</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=heaven-bound</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=heaven-bound#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2011 15:18:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deborah Tornillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poems and Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40186</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Heaven Bound &#160; Year after year On your special day Mother’s Day I brought you flowers Gave you a hug and kiss Reminded you how special you were. &#160; Every one of those years I knew you were grateful For my gifts and my love Yet, a sadness remained In your beautiful blue eyes It [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=heaven-bound/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Remembering Our Legacy this Mother&#8217;s and Father’s Days</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remembering-our-legacy-this-mothers-and-father%e2%80%99s-days</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remembering-our-legacy-this-mothers-and-father%e2%80%99s-days#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2011 08:19:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony Falzano</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40090</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[She was an attractive woman with thick dark hair that started turning white in the middle of her life. She was the oldest of 3 children. Her mother was from Scotland and her father was from England. She loved to cook and tend to her flowers in the garden. She had many friends. One of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remembering-our-legacy-this-mothers-and-father%e2%80%99s-days/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Osama bin Laden’s Death: Tips for Talking with Your Child</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=osama-bin-laden%e2%80%99s-death-tips-for-talking-with-your-child</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=osama-bin-laden%e2%80%99s-death-tips-for-talking-with-your-child#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2011 15:35:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Suzy Yehl Marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children & Grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping kids talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40179</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The news this week of Osama bin Laden’s death evokes countless emotions.  As I look back on the tragic day of September 11, 2001, I shudder with the memories of fear for our country and the immensity of how Rainbows For All Children could help the families who had loved ones die.  There’s also the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=osama-bin-laden%e2%80%99s-death-tips-for-talking-with-your-child/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Grieving and Resilience</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-and-resilience</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-and-resilience#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2011 08:42:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Berger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40094</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s been a lot of buzz lately about a book by a Columbia psychology professor, George Bonnano, called The Other Side of Sadness (2009).  This book received many endorsements from the academic community claiming revolutionary thinking about how the bereaved experience and adapt to the loss of a loved one.  His main point is that [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-and-resilience/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Mother’s Day: Look for the Woodpecker</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mother%e2%80%99s-day-look-for-the-woodpecker</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mother%e2%80%99s-day-look-for-the-woodpecker#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 May 2011 18:27:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr Gloria</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anniversaries, Birthdays, Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40173</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, I would like to wish you all peace and harmony. If not peace, try distraction.  I am a golfer and a couple of weeks ago was watching a match.  After winning a sudden death playoff, one of the golfers was asked how he kept his focus under stress.  He said [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mother%e2%80%99s-day-look-for-the-woodpecker/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Mother’s Heart</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-mother%e2%80%99s-heart</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-mother%e2%80%99s-heart#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 May 2011 08:07:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jean Williams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40084</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A heart grown weary, A soul shattered by loss. How can it be, that I still live, And yet my son does not. As mother Mary, &#8220;kept these things,&#8221; I pondered in my own heart. Did Mary know her Son would die? As surely, I did not. Mary cried, for her Savior Son. And I, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-mother%e2%80%99s-heart/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Room For Change: Changing Walls within Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=room-for-change-changing-walls-within-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=room-for-change-changing-walls-within-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 May 2011 08:03:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Reynolds</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40080</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Walls are dividers.&#160; Walls are providers.&#160; Walls are low. Walls are high.&#160; Walls are protectors. Walls are prisons. Walls with cracks fall down and can be rebuilt or replaced with something else. Moving through many changes after loss (the major one being the death of my spouse), I have moved my literal walls. In fact, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=room-for-change-changing-walls-within-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Yes, another Mother&#8217;s Day&#8230;.</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=yes-another-mothers-day</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=yes-another-mothers-day#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 2011 14:06:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40144</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mothers Day – 2011 There is no word in English to describe that parent who has lost a child. There is no such word in any language. I can only assume that is because it is the unthinkable. It is against nature, against all that should be. And yet it happens. It has happened to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=yes-another-mothers-day/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mother&#8217;s Day as a Bereaved Mom</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-day-as-a-bereaved-mom</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-day-as-a-bereaved-mom#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 2011 04:33:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40143</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For a while I wondered if winter would ever leave, though the calendar said it had. However, the gorgeous weather of this past week is proof that spring has unmistakably arrived. The sights and sounds outside my window do not lie. The neighborhood children have shed their winter coats and I hear their gleeful laughter [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-day-as-a-bereaved-mom/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Writing Songs for Husband Helped Widow Heal</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-healing-power-of-artistic-expression</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-healing-power-of-artistic-expression#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 2011 08:36:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Paula Ezop</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40046</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When my husband died, I felt a burning desire, a heartfelt need, to tell the world about the love that we shared.  I wanted everyone to know how I felt, and how our love would last forever and ever. I decided that I was going to write a song about the love that I held [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-healing-power-of-artistic-expression/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Remembering Buddy</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remembering-buddy</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remembering-buddy#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 2011 01:19:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40142</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Five years ago, I lost my 2 1/2 year old son Daniel Jr., in a drowning accident. Five years later, though the pain is not as intense, I still feel the emptiness from his absence. He never got to grow up and everytime my older daughter gets to a milestone, I know, it will be [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=remembering-buddy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sudden Death vs. Anticipated Loss: Two Different Journeys</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sudden-death-vs-anticipated-loss-two-different-journeys</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sudden-death-vs-anticipated-loss-two-different-journeys#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 May 2011 08:49:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Mulligan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40010</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Experience: The stern lights of a ship, which illumine only the track it has passed. &#8211; Samuel Taylor Coleridge Having experienced grief previously, I assumed I would be able to move on through life after the death of my mother in November 2010. I thought myself well prepared since I had spent the last ten [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=sudden-death-vs-anticipated-loss-two-different-journeys/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Connecting to Nature: Sacred Lessons Learned</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=connecting-to-nature-sacred-lessons-learned</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=connecting-to-nature-sacred-lessons-learned#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Apr 2011 08:04:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Simington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39981</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Mom, can you come today? I want to show you the little river Wes and I found yesterday. It’s full of minnows. It’s in that marshy place where they cut down those old trees.” There were indeed minnows in his new-found stream. I returned, on numerous occasions, to ponder their existence; I returned to recall [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=connecting-to-nature-sacred-lessons-learned/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Woman Embraces Role as Caregiver to Those with Cancer</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=woman-embraces-role-as-caregiver-to-those-with-cancer</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=woman-embraces-role-as-caregiver-to-those-with-cancer#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:26:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sharon RothLichtenfeld</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40043</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been surrounded by cancer all of my life. One of my earliest memories was in 1967.  I was just 6 1/2 years old. My Aunt Natalie had died from breast cancer at the young age of 43. To this day, I can still recall that rainy July day. I remember being confused, scared, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=woman-embraces-role-as-caregiver-to-those-with-cancer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Widow Struggles to Open Her Heart Again</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-struggles-to-open-her-heart-again</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-struggles-to-open-her-heart-again#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:21:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christine Thiele</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40013</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The sixth anniversary of my husband’s death is right around the corner. I’m wondering tonight about open hearts. Open hearts are soft, ready to be shaped by love. They are ready for moments of joy, ready to let go of pain.  I have an open heart.  My only problem is that my heart is only [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-struggles-to-open-her-heart-again/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>my Sonshine taked away&#8230;.</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-sonshine-taked-away</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-sonshine-taked-away#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:13:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40140</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Jan,16,2007 my Mom passed away from lung cancer(6 mths after diagnoses), Than tragically my 22 yr old Son passed away on Sept.07.2009, than 2 mnths later my 43 cousin passed(suicide), than just this past November 26,2010 my only brother passed away(apparent suicide,suspicious death).I am more than beside myself&#8230;the only thing that is keeping me [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-sonshine-taked-away/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dissonance in the Land of the Hereafter &#8212; Part II</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dissonance-in-the-land-of-the-hereafter-part-ii</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dissonance-in-the-land-of-the-hereafter-part-ii#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:36:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Stoller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40039</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I remember exactly when my son, Galen, was conceived – October 14th, 1990. I know where I was, what I had been doing that day and I remember how one week later I received a dream about a young man preparing himself to be born. Was this Galen? I have actually never asked him, but [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dissonance-in-the-land-of-the-hereafter-part-ii/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Underwater at the Cancer Diagnosis</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=underwater-at-the-cancer-diagnosis</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=underwater-at-the-cancer-diagnosis#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:13:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Johnson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40032</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I could see his lips moving and his eyes penetrating but I felt like I was swimming underwater.  The muffled sounds seemed far away and the x-ray the doctor was pointing to had black spots on the tailbone, elbow, neck and rib.  I drew myself above water and spoke, “Couldn’t they be arthritis?” and immediately [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=underwater-at-the-cancer-diagnosis/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Memoirs May Bring Peace, Hope</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=memoirs-may-bring-peace-hope</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=memoirs-may-bring-peace-hope#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:49:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Pesmen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40018</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My new memoir, Stairway to the Stars: John Tavolta, Woody Allen, Joan Rivers&#8230;and Me is off to a fine start, selling nicely with positive reviews as readers dive into the secrets of my career and personal life.   But since this memoir brought such peace and closure to me, I hope it&#8217;s also going to inspire others who experienced sorrow [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=memoirs-may-bring-peace-hope/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Coming out of the Wilderness of Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=coming-out-of-the-wilderness-of-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=coming-out-of-the-wilderness-of-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:48:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cynthia Ranyak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40097</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This has been a long Easter season and as we are accustomed to bringing in the newness of life during this season, it is also a great time to let go of the lingering resentments of anger and confusion that comes with grieving the loss of a child.  Holding on to great memories and letting [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=coming-out-of-the-wilderness-of-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mother Gradually Recovers from an Easter Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mother-gradually-recovers-from-an-easter-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mother-gradually-recovers-from-an-easter-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2011 08:57:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kathryn Williams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40057</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Judy Marquette lost her son on Easter eight years ago. For her, this time of year is especially difficult. Spring sets in and new life is gifted in abundance.  It is a time when families gather to enjoy one another and, depending on religious beliefs, offer tribute to the remembrance and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mother-gradually-recovers-from-an-easter-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Easter Surprise Helps Mom Heal from Child-Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=easter-surprise-helps-mom-heal-from-child-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=easter-surprise-helps-mom-heal-from-child-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2011 21:07:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39994</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On October 25, 1989, my fourteen-year-old son Shawn was struck by a car and died. When the coroner came to our door to tell us, I felt like he’d stuck a knife in my heart. I wanted so badly for him to be at the wrong house talking about the wrong kid. But he wasn’t [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=easter-surprise-helps-mom-heal-from-child-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Easter Adoption Gives Pain, Then Peace</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=easter-adoption-gives-pain-then-peace</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=easter-adoption-gives-pain-then-peace#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:39:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard Ballo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40105</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Growing up Catholic, Easter meant dressing up for church and coloring Easter eggs and eating chocolate. Many years later, my wife Lisa and I did the same thing with our young children. Seven years into our marriage, and two years after Lisa’s devastating diagnosis of cancer, Lisa, our two children and I were living with [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=easter-adoption-gives-pain-then-peace/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>our beautiful jo holly</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=our-beautiful-jo-holly</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=our-beautiful-jo-holly#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:23:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40132</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[one year ago tonight our 27 year old high school art teacher who graduated amgna cum laude and loved her students and her profession succumbed to the pain and agony of self-medicating bipolar disease. she had developed it after years of anxiety and found pain killers could help ease her pain but of course they [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=our-beautiful-jo-holly/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Caregivers: We&#8217;re Not Mother Teresa</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=caregivers-were-not-mother-teresa-2</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=caregivers-were-not-mother-teresa-2#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:35:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Stan Goldberg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40037</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’d been a bedside volunteer for more than five years; sitting with dying patients and their families once or twice a week for up to four continuous hours. Sometimes I stayed with patients overnight. Regardless how demanding my responsibilities, I knew that when I left the bedside, I’d have three to six days to “recover.” [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=caregivers-were-not-mother-teresa-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>2 angels lost</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=2-angels-lost</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=2-angels-lost#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:09:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40115</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There were 2 angels sent from heaven to earth, just lent to us for a brief time. During that time, the angels showed others the meaning of love, caring and compassion. The first angel was called home 10 months ago and was my sister Laurie. She was an angel through and through with a heart [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=2-angels-lost/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grief Has Its Own Timetable</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-has-its-own-timetable</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-has-its-own-timetable#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:13:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Jane Hurley Brant</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Multiple Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40002</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After the death of someone we love, our grief experience and overall healing has everything to do with our relationship to the deceased, the intensity and depth of the love we felt for them, and our degree of faith in a hereafter.   In the immediate aftermath of a person&#8217;s death, it&#8217;s hard to breathe and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-has-its-own-timetable/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Soul Pain, Grief and Transformation</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=soul-pain-grief-and-transformation</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=soul-pain-grief-and-transformation#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:32:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Simington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pastoral Support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39940</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Between tearful sobs, Mary confides the painful story of how her life has become meaningless and of how parenting issues and marital problems have escalated since the suicide death of her teenage son, four years before. Listening to her as she speaks &#8212; bent-over, eyes averted, monotone voice &#8212; one can conclude that Mary is [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=soul-pain-grief-and-transformation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Running From Pain Doesn&#8217;t Work</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=running-from-pain-doesnt-work</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=running-from-pain-doesnt-work#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:32:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Louise Lagerman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39984</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I tried to run away from you. I did. I thought that if I ran fast, I would be able to escape the pain I feel over losing you. It worked for a little while. Maybe a month or two. But how can you run away from this kind of love, from this kind of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=running-from-pain-doesnt-work/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>my son patrick</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-son-patrick</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-son-patrick#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:14:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40077</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[i lost my son patrick 7 months ago .he was 8 years old .he died in an abandon house fire . he died september 17,2010 . that was the worsed day of my life . ive been trying to deal with his death but it seems like my crying everyday never stops .]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-son-patrick/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Butterflies Offers Sign from Beyond</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=39990</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=39990#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:49:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kimberly Wencl</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39990</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We buried our 20-year old daughter, Elizabeth, on a bright, sunny, warm September day. If only that sun would break through the shock and disbelief of what that day brought.  Why God, why?  Elizabeth was supposed to bury me. A parent should never have to bury a child. A year earlier, we had packed her [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=39990/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grief Support Group Didn’t Help – Now What?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-support-group-didn%e2%80%99t-help-%e2%80%93-now-what</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-support-group-didn%e2%80%99t-help-%e2%80%93-now-what#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Apr 2011 08:43:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39987</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a reader:  I feel very comfortable on the online forum I’ve joined and have already received great support from the people there. They encourage and inspire me. I&#8217;m learning a lot from those who&#8217;ve inhabited this world of grief longer than I have. That&#8217;s why it would be good to hear your thoughts [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-support-group-didn%e2%80%99t-help-%e2%80%93-now-what/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Falling in Love Again after Pet-Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=falling-in-love-again-after-pet-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=falling-in-love-again-after-pet-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:24:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bonnie Goodman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pet Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40023</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My beloved first golden retriever died in July 2005, The anticipated and then excruciating pain of his loss lingered for months on end, tears flowed uncontrollably and a growing yearning for that furry connection permeated my soul. I swore to never get another dog again, as I couldn’t tolerate yet another heart wrenching &#8220;letting go.&#8221; [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=falling-in-love-again-after-pet-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Prayer Registry Builds Hope and Community</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=prayer-registry-builds-hope-and-community</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=prayer-registry-builds-hope-and-community#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 08:01:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sheri Perl</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39967</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My son Danny passed on July 1, 2008, from an overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs. He was 22 years old, a beautiful mountain of a kid with his whole life ahead of him, gone in an instant due to an error in judgment. The day after he passed, while lying in bed not knowing [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=prayer-registry-builds-hope-and-community/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grounding Techniques to Deal with Panic Attacks</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grounding-techniques-to-deal-with-panic-attacks</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grounding-techniques-to-deal-with-panic-attacks#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 08:52:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kim Go</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39964</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[DISCLOSURE: I am not a therapist or trained medical professional. If your want to use this technique, you can consult with your expert therapist or doctor. Most average people can address an impending panic attack with tools and knowledge to reduce the likelihood of slipping into a state of panic, flashback or dissociation. I want [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grounding-techniques-to-deal-with-panic-attacks/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>We Can&#8217;t Get Through Grief with Logic</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=we-cant-get-through-grief-with-logic</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=we-cant-get-through-grief-with-logic#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 08:46:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39961</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Time heals what reason cannot. &#8212; Seneca We think in terms of time and much is said about it after a loss. &#8220;He was so young to run out of time.&#8221; &#8220;Her time was up way to soon.&#8221; &#8220;He was with them such a short time.&#8221; People ask how much time does it take for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=we-cant-get-through-grief-with-logic/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>the letter</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-letter</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-letter#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:54:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40031</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Saturday was a good day. We had company show up from out of town. I was very busy working on tax returns (I am a CPA working from home), but they were a welcome treat. Our new adopted &#8220;home town&#8221; had several celebrations going on and we took in all the festivities. We came home [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-letter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>I cant console the loss of my wife</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-cant-console-the-loss-of-my-wife</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-cant-console-the-loss-of-my-wife#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:46:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=40022</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is now 8 months since I lost my Darling wife of 36 years and I cry more than I have ever done before(she was 56 years of age when she died after fighting cancer for 2.5 yrs).For me there will never be “closure” I am so scared for her that perhaps after this life [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-cant-console-the-loss-of-my-wife/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>22</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Comfort of a Red Cardinal in Wintertime</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-comfort-of-a-red-cardinal-in-wintertime</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-comfort-of-a-red-cardinal-in-wintertime#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:23:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Multiple Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39957</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Losing four family members within nine months has been, and continues to be, the most challenging experience of my life.  My daughter and father-in-law died the same weekend.  Several months later, my brother died and several months after that, my former son-in-law died.  The grief of multiple losses was so painful I could barely move [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-comfort-of-a-red-cardinal-in-wintertime/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Am I Doing? Look at My Toes</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-am-i-doing-look-at-my-toes</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-am-i-doing-look-at-my-toes#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:43:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Tidd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39949</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Don’t judge me when I say this &#8230; but I could easily get addicted to pedicures. Now, for you men who are reading this, this is not just a girl thing.  Any guy who has had a pedicure before will tell you he’ll be back for more.  And any woman will tell you, we wish [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-am-i-doing-look-at-my-toes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Great Aunt Waits for God</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=great-aunt-waits-for-god</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=great-aunt-waits-for-god#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:38:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lizzy Miles</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39947</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My Great Aunt Alice was a pretty healthy 87 years old.  She was spunky.  I really thought I’d be submitting her picture to the Today show for the Smuckers jar profile when she turned 100. Then one a rainy day in April, I received the dreaded phone call.  Aunt Alice had a sudden brain aneurysm [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=great-aunt-waits-for-god/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Greatest Lesson Grief has Taught Me</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-greatest-lesson-grief-has-taught-me</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-greatest-lesson-grief-has-taught-me#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2011 08:31:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Simington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39942</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On March 18, 2011, I was honored with the Woman of Vision Award presented by Global Edmonton Television.  At the luncheon, I was asked to speak for two minutes on the greatest lesson my grief had taught me. Many who were not present have asked if I would share my response. I am pleased and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-greatest-lesson-grief-has-taught-me/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Smile Again Story</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-smile-again-story</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-smile-again-story#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:07:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39978</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On June 15, 1994, I received a call from my Dad. He told me I better get to the hospital, the doctors didn’t think my brother would make it through the day. My heart fell out of my body and I couldn’t breath. I heard something in my Dad’s voice that I couldn’t deny. In [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-smile-again-story/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Easter Reminds Woman that God Understands Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=easter-reminds-woman-that-god-understands-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=easter-reminds-woman-that-god-understands-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:11:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lisa Peacock</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39937</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to the women&#8217;s group at my church, and I realized just how much faith meant to me.  I grew up Catholic, and it was very important to my mother that we go to church.  However, when she was killed, God was the last person I wanted to talk [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=easter-reminds-woman-that-god-understands-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Room For Change After a Spouse-Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=room-for-changetry-try-again-or-tri-tri-again</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=room-for-changetry-try-again-or-tri-tri-again#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:59:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Reynolds</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39933</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As time &#8220;slips&#8221; by in my healing from loss of spouse, and I find my way to enter again into life, there seems to be more and more sliding from side to side.  I&#8217;m trying to find my footing on a path unexplored. It was easy being a mother, wife and co creator of a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=room-for-changetry-try-again-or-tri-tri-again/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Son is Present in the Birds</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=son-is-present-in-the-birds</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=son-is-present-in-the-birds#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:44:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39926</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My interest in animals started at an early age. My mom, having been raised on a farm, was a regular Dr. Doolittle. We always seemed to have a dog or cat, a bird and at one point even an eight-inch alligator which was sent to us from Florida. When these animals died, we had elaborate [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=son-is-present-in-the-birds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Does Time Heal?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-time-heal</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-time-heal#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39890</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I discovered this quote from singer/songwriter Jack Johnson:  And if they tell you love fades over time, tell them there is no such thing as time. His quote also got me thinking about the passage of time as it relates to our grief journeys. Many in our society believe that there is a set time period [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-time-heal/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cognitive Dissonance in the Hereafter</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cognitive-dissonance-in-the-hereafter</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cognitive-dissonance-in-the-hereafter#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Apr 2011 08:04:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Stoller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39894</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am in frequent communication, to a greater or lesser degree, with my teenage son who passed in a train accident at the end of 2007. The bridge that has been built between us, with the assistance of many others, has allowed enough clarity for a series of books to be written by my son, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=cognitive-dissonance-in-the-hereafter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How To Die Laughing</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-die-laughing</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-die-laughing#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:54:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bernie Siegel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39930</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A friend of mine and his new wife decided to spend their honeymoon camping out. I heard this story from him after all the events had occurred. He said, &#8220;Our first night out I cut up the branches of a tree to make a shelter for our campsite. We had a quiet evening but were [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-to-die-laughing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Environmental Loss: Grief and Cherry Blossoms</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=environmental-loss-grief-and-cherry-blossoms</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=environmental-loss-grief-and-cherry-blossoms#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:40:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Stoller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39885</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have written about the flower essences that helped me move some of the very painful energy in those first few days after the train accident that took my son’s earth life. Heart mend, aptly named, was one of the remedies my long time friend Brent Davis over-nighted to help with my grief, and it [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=environmental-loss-grief-and-cherry-blossoms/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grief Process: Asking the Profound Questions</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-process-asking-the-profound-questions</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-process-asking-the-profound-questions#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ellen Gerst</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39911</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One way to successfully travel the road of grief towards renewal is to afford yourself an appropriate amount of time for introspective thought. Richard Bach suggests asking yourself questions. He says, “The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-process-asking-the-profound-questions/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stitched Together By Memories: Legacy and Life Review</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=stitched-together-by-memories-legacy-and-life-review</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=stitched-together-by-memories-legacy-and-life-review#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:52:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Simington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39844</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In preparation for our mother’s 90th birthday, my sister requested that each of Mother’s children photograph the quilts mother had, over the years, given to us, our children and grandchildren. My sister was designing a “quilt book.” Clipping and snipping, she was fashioning a chapter for each of Mother’s children. Our individual stories were being [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=stitched-together-by-memories-legacy-and-life-review/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Not knowing Mum had died</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=not-knowing-mum-had-died</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=not-knowing-mum-had-died#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:13:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39902</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It will be a year on April the 2nd which was good Friday that I found out my poor mother had died. She had been dead nearly 2 years but my father wanted to punish me for things past so did not tell me and got one of his sisters to telephone me and tell [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=not-knowing-mum-had-died/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Art of Patience in the Grieving Process</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-art-of-patience-in-the-grieving-process</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-art-of-patience-in-the-grieving-process#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:50:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Muscarella</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39888</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Quick. Fast. Now. Go. Do. Success. Power. Instant gratification is an unfortunate American archetype. I feel myself drawn to this alluring proposition constantly even when I have, on more than one occasion, realized it’s self-defeating. I want to get where I am going now, not two hours from now, not two years from now. Right [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-art-of-patience-in-the-grieving-process/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The day you died.</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-day-you-died</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-day-you-died#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Mar 2011 08:01:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39884</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It been six months (yesterday) since my brother died suddenly. A unknown man on the end of the phone, spoke to me. He told me you were dead. He bought me to my knees. His news shattered my life beyond repair. I sobbed as I tried to recall and reclaim your life back. The screams [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-day-you-died/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>a hole in my heart</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-hole-in-my-heart</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-hole-in-my-heart#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Mar 2011 05:11:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39881</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My husband Keith spent 10 months battling cancer. Together we fought it&#8230;.chemo, radiation and more radiation. He was in so much pain we had to go to hospice. They gave him so much morphine &#8211; I feel like that is what killed him. He died 2 weeks after we went to hospice house. I have [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=a-hole-in-my-heart/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Woman Finds it Hard to Trust after Sister&#8217;s Murder</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=woman-finds-it-hard-to-trust-after-sisters-murder</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=woman-finds-it-hard-to-trust-after-sisters-murder#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Mar 2011 08:47:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39863</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“A normal reaction to a very abnormal situation.” My psychologist spoke those words to me so often in the months following my sister&#8217;s murder. Choosing to seek the help of psychologist was one of the most important decisions I made.  I discussed so many emotions and feelings with her.  Emotions and feelings I would have [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=woman-finds-it-hard-to-trust-after-sisters-murder/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Widower Ponders What to do With the Ring</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widower-ponders-what-to-do-with-the-ring</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widower-ponders-what-to-do-with-the-ring#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Mar 2011 08:30:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard Ballo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39872</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Eight months after my wife Lisa died of cancer, I sat in our bedroom staring at my gold wedding band, the symbol of our love and marriage that I still wore. I didn’t want to let go. I didn’t want my marriage to end after only 8 years, and the thought of removing my ring [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widower-ponders-what-to-do-with-the-ring/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>26</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Doesn&#8217;t Kill Me&#8230;Makes Me Surrender</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-doesnt-kill-me-makes-me-surrender</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-doesnt-kill-me-makes-me-surrender#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:42:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christine Thiele</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39641</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the years since my husband died, many times I have heard the phrase: “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.”  I’ve been thinking about that lately and am not sure if I agree.  There are so many different endings I could add to the phrase that would fit better for me…what doesn’t kill [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-doesnt-kill-me-makes-me-surrender/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>I Miss My Kaila</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-miss-my-kaila</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-miss-my-kaila#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:03:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39871</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My daugher passed away 7 mos ago. A poorly performed homicide investigation was done and closed. Kaila, a beautiful, energetic, strong, caring, dedicated 1st time mom,decided to go chill with a few friends. She kissed me wednesday on her way out. We spoke several times that day. At 18 she was very responsible and since [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-miss-my-kaila/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Widows: Is it Time for Us to Tune Out?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widows-is-it-time-for-us-to-tune-out</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widows-is-it-time-for-us-to-tune-out#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 08:36:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Tidd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39859</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is it just me&#8230;or does it seem like the world is going to heck in a hand-basket? Earthquakes, nuclear explosions, tsunamis, idiots in government.  I hear even that sweet, young man, Charlie Sheen, is having issues. Everything that is going on in the world today is enough to overwhelm anyone if they really let it [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widows-is-it-time-for-us-to-tune-out/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Writing a Book With Deceased Son</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=writing-a-book-with-deceased-son</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=writing-a-book-with-deceased-son#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 08:44:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kenneth Stoller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39830</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the publication of my son’s book less than two weeks away, the cat will be out of the bag, and it will be known that less than two weeks after his passing (in 2007), I was getting contact messages from him. Two years later, I started writing the book that he wanted to pen; [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=writing-a-book-with-deceased-son/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Spring Challenges Bereaved Mom to Find Hope</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=spring-challenges-bereaved-mom-to-find-hope</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=spring-challenges-bereaved-mom-to-find-hope#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:30:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy C. Maddocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39820</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Springtime is upon us, along with all the excitement of new growth, new life, and new beginnings.  But spring doesn’t hold such new hope and life for everyone.  Those who have endured the death of a loved one don’t always welcome the new seasons. My son died in mid-winter, so when spring came around, I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=spring-challenges-bereaved-mom-to-find-hope/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grieving With Help After My Son’s Suicide</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-with-help-after-my-son%e2%80%99s-suicide</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-with-help-after-my-son%e2%80%99s-suicide#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Mar 2011 08:22:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jean Williams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39818</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We were not left alone after our son, Joshua, died by suicide. People from across the states took the time to listen and some cried with us. It would take pages to mention them by name, but because of who he was to Joshua, I’ll chose one. After Joshua’s memorial, when the hall emptied out [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-with-help-after-my-son%e2%80%99s-suicide/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My brother</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-brother</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-brother#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:44:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39866</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My brother was taken from me in 2010. I am finding it difficult coming to terms with never seeing him or hearing his voice again. I try to hide my grief and upset from those around me but when I am on my own I cry as i think about all the times we spent [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-brother/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>In Barrens of Grief, Hope Still Blooms</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-barrens-of-grief-hope-still-blooms</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-barrens-of-grief-hope-still-blooms#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Mar 2011 08:46:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John French</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39812</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Losing a child is like falling into a fathomless pit, a deep well of sorrow that leaves an enormous void in the center of life. One moment, you are on top of the world, an instant later you are plummeting into the deepest depths of despair. Tumbling like a stone into utter desolation. Where sorrow [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=in-barrens-of-grief-hope-still-blooms/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Dad took his own life</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dad-took-his-own-life</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dad-took-his-own-life#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:42:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39858</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I grew up basically alone with my daddy. We didnt have much but man did i idolise him! He was my hero, my safety net and my protector. He was all I actually had as I was not close with my 2 sisters because of the huge age gap between us and my mother was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dad-took-his-own-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>OTH Writer Challenges Time Magazine Article on Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=oth-writer-challenges-time-magazine-article-on-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=oth-writer-challenges-time-magazine-article-on-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:31:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Suzy Yehl Marta</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39841</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, TIME magazine published an article, “New Ways to Think About Grief,” by Ruth Davis Konigsberg and it listed several myths on grief.  Open to Hope contributing writer Suzy Yehl Marta, founder of Rainbows For All Children, wrote a letter to the editor, copied here: Dear Ruth, Thank you for your recent article, “New Ways [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=oth-writer-challenges-time-magazine-article-on-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Accepting Change Can Bring Peace</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=accepting-change-can-bring-peace</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=accepting-change-can-bring-peace#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:45:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Jane Hurley Brant</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39809</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In my younger days, I was naive enough to think I could control change.  I&#8217;ve learned, but not quickly enough, that no one can control or stop change. And, here is an interesting little fact: Charles Darwin believed that those people who survive are the ones who can adapt to ongoing change. That thought of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=accepting-change-can-bring-peace/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>mum killed by a brick wall</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mum-killed-by-a-brick-wall</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mum-killed-by-a-brick-wall#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:23:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39857</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[on the 1st Feb this year my mum was at home gardening on a week off from work, a solid brick wall from an out building just fell on her and crushed her to death, my dad came home from work and found her, she had been there around 4hours we think, there is an [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mum-killed-by-a-brick-wall/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Workplace Grief: Listening to the Griever</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=workplace-grief-listening-to-the-griever</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=workplace-grief-listening-to-the-griever#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:18:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deb Kosmer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Co-worker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39836</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Helping hurting employees can be complicated, challenging, and confusing, especially when the employee’s needs and reactions change from one day to the next. Grieving people are often unsure what they want from others, which complicates things further. Just as there is no rulebook as to the length and pattern of grief, there is no right [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=workplace-grief-listening-to-the-griever/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>For Men: Living a Regret-Free Life After Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=for-men-living-a-regret-free-life-after-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=for-men-living-a-regret-free-life-after-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 09:24:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ron Villano</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[For Men Only]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping men deal with loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39775</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hands down, the strongest, most destructive part of grief is regret. That ever-present feeling that you could have done more. Regret can become so strong that everything else about life gets tossed aside. It is exactly what happened to me. The night before I lost my 17-year old son, Michael, in an auto accident, he [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=for-men-living-a-regret-free-life-after-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>The Response of the Human Spirit to Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-response-of-the-human-spirit-to-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-response-of-the-human-spirit-to-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:04:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jane Simington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39823</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When we experience significant loss, every aspect of our humanness responds in agony. As the initial physical effects dissipate, they leave in their wake an accumulation of emotional and spiritual responses to the loss. Some of these responses begin to appear only over time, often long after the needed support offered by loved ones and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-response-of-the-human-spirit-to-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Releasing Anger While Dealing with Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=releasing-anger-while-dealing-with-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=releasing-anger-while-dealing-with-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:29:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39768</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As most of us know, there are certain things that trigger our emotions while on this journey of grief.  I think it’s safe to say that we all understand there are different stages of grief, different emotions and feelings also. Many people experience anger while grieving. Anger at the deceased, anger at God, anger at [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=releasing-anger-while-dealing-with-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Twins and Their Shadows</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-twins-and-their-shadows</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-twins-and-their-shadows#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:09:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39829</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My fourth grade year concluded with long shadows cast over it. The class was all elbows and knees. Among my classmates were “the twins”, Bobby and Ricky &#8211; the source of fascination. 2 people who seemed to be versions of the other was mysterious to us all. Then, one morning in February, the principle arrived [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-twins-and-their-shadows/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
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		<title>Questions About Public Grieving</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=questions-about-public-grieving</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=questions-about-public-grieving#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:18:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tony Falzano</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39765</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you noticed the attention the media give to public figures suffering through terminal illness and grief? Most recently, activist Sargent Shriver and attorney Elizabeth Edwards have been in the news. And before them, there were celebrities Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon. As these public figures faced the paparazzi, they became role models as they [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=questions-about-public-grieving/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Don&#8217;t Let Them Go</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-let-them-go</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-let-them-go#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:54:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gabriel Constans</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grief]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39814</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Death always seems to come to soon or when we don’t expect it. No matter how long someone has lived or how they’ve died, it is impossible to fully prepare for the moment and the days that follow. Our relationships don’t end with death. We are always connected. Death changes the way in which we [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=dont-let-them-go/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>From the Fires Come Unexpected Gifts</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=from-the-fires-come-unexpected-gifts</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=from-the-fires-come-unexpected-gifts#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:04:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vicky Bates</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39761</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A few years back, we had a forest fire here in the Sawtooth Mountains. The first evening, we collectively came out and stood on hillsides to watch in horror and awe as the flames engulfed the woods and the pristine scenery, never dreaming it would overpower the town in the days to come. It seemed incomprehensible. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=from-the-fires-come-unexpected-gifts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Frankfort, Kentucky Regional Conference</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=frankfort-kentucky-regional-conference</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=frankfort-kentucky-regional-conference#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:55:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39803</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Please join us for our Compassionate Friends regional conference March 25 &#038; 26 in Frankfort, Kentucky. &#8220;Words of Wisdom, Hearts of Love&#8221; This conference is for any one touched by the death of a child. Exec. Dir., of The Compassionate Friends, Pat Loder wil be joining us as well as past President of the Board, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=frankfort-kentucky-regional-conference/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Frankfort, Kentucky Regional Conference</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=frankfort-kentucky-regional-conference</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=frankfort-kentucky-regional-conference#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:54:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39802</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Please join us for our Compassionate Friends regional conference March 25 &#038; 26 in Frankfort, Kentucky. &#8220;Words of Wisdom, Hearts of Love&#8221; This conference is for any one touched by the death of a child. Exec. Dir., of The Compassionate Friends, Pat Loder wil be joining us as well as past President of the Board, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=frankfort-kentucky-regional-conference/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lost my soulmate after only 6 months of marriage.</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=lost-my-soulmate-after-only-6-months-of-marriage</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=lost-my-soulmate-after-only-6-months-of-marriage#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:40:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39801</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is all new and so unexpected. Wow one year you are preparong for the wedding of your dreams and the following year you are burying your new spouse. Is this a bad dream or what? The emotions are higher than a rollercoaster. I could have never imagined being on this journey. I am, one [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=lost-my-soulmate-after-only-6-months-of-marriage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grieving With Help After Our Son&#8217;s Suicide</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-with-help-after-our-sons-suicide</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-with-help-after-our-sons-suicide#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Mar 2011 01:49:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39800</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We were not left alone after our son, Joshua, died by suicide. People from across the states took the time to listen and some cried with us. It would take pages to mention them name-by-name, but because of who he was to Joshua, I’ll choose one. After Joshua’s memorial, when the hall emptied out and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grieving-with-help-after-our-sons-suicide/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Does Widower’s Behavior Indicate Unresolved Grief?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-widower%e2%80%99s-behavior-indicate-unresolved-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-widower%e2%80%99s-behavior-indicate-unresolved-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Mar 2011 09:11:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39758</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a reader: I am currently dating a widower who feels the need to publish a picture of his ex-wife in the local newspaper twice a year, on her birthday and date of death.  He has been doing this for five years.  We have been dating for four-and-a half-years.  My husband died suddenly of a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=does-widower%e2%80%99s-behavior-indicate-unresolved-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mom Opens to Forgiveness After Son&#8217;s Murder</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=open-to-forgiving-after-sons-murder</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=open-to-forgiving-after-sons-murder#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 09:11:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mary Westra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39740</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don’t find forgiveness a very easy concept to deal with after the murder of my son. My 24-year-old son Peter was kicked to death by bouncers in Atlantic City, NJ, in July 2001 during a bachelor party. For reasons that remain unclear, one bouncer took Peter out of the club about 4:00 AM, roughed [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=open-to-forgiving-after-sons-murder/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;How Long Will It Take?&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-long-will-it-take</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-long-will-it-take#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:15:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shep Jeffreys</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grief Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grieving Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39752</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Grieving people, their friends and family frequently ask me the  question: “How Long Will It Take?” So many of their friends have their own ideas about the right length of time for grief and mourning. Those friends freely make their opinions known to those who are bereaved or suffering from other life losses. Clients will [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=how-long-will-it-take/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Peace in Eight: Friends, Rituals, Time Lessen the Pain of Child-Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=peace-in-eight-friends-rituals-time-lessen-the-pain-of-child-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=peace-in-eight-friends-rituals-time-lessen-the-pain-of-child-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:01:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Roberts</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39737</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[March 1st marked my daughter Jeannine’s eighth angelversary; on that date, Jeannine became forever eighteen. The last seven years have been characterized by intense grief during the days and months leading up to the date of her death. Since Jeannine died of cancer, I would consistently relive the excruciating pain of the last months and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=peace-in-eight-friends-rituals-time-lessen-the-pain-of-child-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Grief Following the Loss of a Beloved Pet</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-following-the-loss-of-a-beloved-pet</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-following-the-loss-of-a-beloved-pet#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:12:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Packman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Other Losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pet Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39771</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Pain of Loss “This is the most terrible pain I have ever had and I feel like I will never be the same person I was before my pet passed.  It felt like someone ripped my heart out of my chest when he died and a scream came out of me that was from [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-following-the-loss-of-a-beloved-pet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Importance of Older Women After Mother-Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-importance-of-older-women-after-mother-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-importance-of-older-women-after-mother-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 09:23:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Muscarella</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39727</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Volunteering at a hospital adorns me with friends whose ages span from 70 to 6. It’s actually quite enlightening. Occasionally a child needs looking after while a parent attends to adult things, and I have the privilege of listening to a first-grader read to me. Having friends who are older is especially important since my [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-importance-of-older-women-after-mother-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>For Family of Murder Victim, Wheels of Justice Turn Slowly</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=for-family-of-murder-victim-wheels-of-justice-turn-slowly</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=for-family-of-murder-victim-wheels-of-justice-turn-slowly#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 09:15:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shirley Wiles-Dickinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39724</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My sister was murdered on September 17, 2009. Six months and 5 days later, on March 23, 2010, an arrest was made.  It will soon be 18 months since her death. It will soon be 12 months since the arrest was made.  I’ve been told that the court process will be slow. It will take [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=for-family-of-murder-victim-wheels-of-justice-turn-slowly/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Honest Grief&#8217; Helps 10-Year-Old Deal With Grandpa&#8217;s Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=honest-grief-helps-10-year-old-deal-with-grandpas-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=honest-grief-helps-10-year-old-deal-with-grandpas-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:20:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Johnson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Grandparent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39686</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was ten, playing with my friend across the street from Grandma and Grandpa’s bungalow.  I was so grown-up now. I  got to ride the bus ALL ALONE  to visit, and it was a 3-hour trip! We were on the porch, and I looked up to see Grandma crashing out the back door, running toward the backyard. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=honest-grief-helps-10-year-old-deal-with-grandpas-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Choose to Let Go of Grief and Pain</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=choose-to-let-go-of-grief-and-pain</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=choose-to-let-go-of-grief-and-pain#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Mar 2011 09:28:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tabitha Jayne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Sibling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39681</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Wild-eyed, I stared at the reflection in the mirror.  I no longer recognised myself.  My eyes were haunted by the pain and suffering not only of my brother&#8217;s death but of all the other losses I&#8217;d experienced throughout my life. My once long red hair was gone, hacked off in a fit of fury as [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=choose-to-let-go-of-grief-and-pain/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hope Eternal: Miscarriage Doesn&#8217;t End Mother-Daughter Bond</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hope-eternal-miscarriage-doesnt-end-mother-daughter-bond</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hope-eternal-miscarriage-doesnt-end-mother-daughter-bond#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:55:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Heather Arbuckle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pastoral Support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pregnancy Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Questioning Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39653</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We call her Hope. Our baby, lost to us in late January 2003, was with us only briefly. Eight weeks to be exact. Not long enough to take her first breath, but long enough to be a reality in my heart. Long enough for me to imagine holding her in my arms. Long enough to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=hope-eternal-miscarriage-doesnt-end-mother-daughter-bond/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mother&#8217;s Necklace is More Than Just Jewelry</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-necklace-is-more-than-just-jewelry</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-necklace-is-more-than-just-jewelry#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:53:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lizzy Miles</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39678</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I wore the necklace with the tiny multicolored beads every day.  Its primary color was black but there were also blues, greens, reds and white.  I liked the necklace because it was unique and because it matched my wardrobe.  It was my favorite. I was on vacation and in a hotel room in Las Vegas [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=mothers-necklace-is-more-than-just-jewelry/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When You&#8217;re Feeling Widowy&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-youre-feeling-widowy</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-youre-feeling-widowy#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:36:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christine Thiele</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39639</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I know that widowy isn’t a word, but it is a description of how I feel today. Widowy isn’t quite full-on sadness. Widowy is more like melancholy.  My grief, my sadness blows around me like a gentle breeze. It’s a breeze that I notice, but it’s not the hurricane force of grief that can throw [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=when-youre-feeling-widowy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Poem: My Anna, My Angel</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=poem-my-anna-my-angel</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=poem-my-anna-my-angel#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:55:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janet Grimes</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pregnancy Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39734</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Across the room, I feel your touch. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Above the silence, I hear your laugh. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Through the night, I see your face. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Stretching into the morning, your heart beats with mine. So perfect, only Heaven [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=poem-my-anna-my-angel/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;I Have Him in My Mind&#8217;: Maintaining Connection After a Loss</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-have-him-in-my-mind-maintaining-connection-after-a-loss</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-have-him-in-my-mind-maintaining-connection-after-a-loss#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:19:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lori Wood</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39636</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Not long ago, I watched an HBO movie entitled, Temple Grandin. It is the true story of a woman who is autistic. The cast and movie won 7 Emmy Awards and Claire Dane won the Golden Globe award for her portrayal of Temple Grandin. I was intrigued with the insight of this woman. She turned [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=i-have-him-in-my-mind-maintaining-connection-after-a-loss/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Playing Hide-and-Seek with Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=playing-hide-and-seek-with-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=playing-hide-and-seek-with-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:12:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Multiple Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39633</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The church service had just begun and the congregation and guests were greeting one another. A friend, who knew four of my family members died in 2007, approached me and asked, &#8220;How are you?&#8221; &#8220;I&#8217;m good,&#8221; I replied. &#8220;How are you?&#8221; Widowed a year ago, my friend replied, &#8220;Oh, I&#8217;ve found that grief hides. When [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=playing-hide-and-seek-with-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Are Your Triggers?</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-are-your-triggers</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-are-your-triggers#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:01:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kelly Farley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39630</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have to be honest; it’s been a while since anything has “triggered” an intense emotional response.  These responses are much fewer and farther between than in my early days of grief.  After the death of my daughter, Katie, I wouldn’t even allow myself to respond to the triggers.  I had trained my mind to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=what-are-your-triggers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Party I Never Wanted to Attend</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-party-i-never-wanted-to-attend</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-party-i-never-wanted-to-attend#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:53:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alice Wisler</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39627</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever not been invited to a party? Everyone you know gets an invitation. You wait for yours. It never arrives. The day of the party comes and goes. No one even called at the last minute to say, &#8220;Oh, so sorry. I&#8217;m not sure what happened to your invitation, but please come.&#8221; You [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-party-i-never-wanted-to-attend/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My Aaron</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-aaron</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-aaron#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:44:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39690</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thru the years we had our ups and downs. Then stigma people put on some for being addicted to drug is horrible. My son had gotten &#8220;clean&#8221; but then relapsed while with a &#8220;friend&#8221;. Things had gotten so GOD between us over the past year or so. We talked and laughed and became close like [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=my-aaron/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Widow Vows Not to Become Bitter</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-vows-not-to-become-bitter</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-vows-not-to-become-bitter#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:42:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Paula Ezop</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Signs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=38763</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is one thing that I am vehement about, and that is I do not want to become a bitter old woman.  I see so many widows who become bitter and lonely.  They seem to succumb to their loneliness, and lose their zest for living.  I can see how easy it would be to become [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=widow-vows-not-to-become-bitter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Returning Home After Seven Years of Widowhood</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=returning-home-after-seven-years-of-widowhood</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=returning-home-after-seven-years-of-widowhood#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Feb 2011 17:34:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Reynolds</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like the prodigal son, we go to far-flung places when we are grieving. We may splurge on time alone or insist on being with others continuously.  We may splurge on items we never owned before or insist on keeping every item from the past.  We may splurge on thoughts of the past and insist on [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=returning-home-after-seven-years-of-widowhood/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Childhood Grief Can Emerge Decades Later</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=childhood-loss-can-emerge-decades-later</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=childhood-loss-can-emerge-decades-later#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Feb 2011 09:41:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Berger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39624</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A woman came into my office yesterday.  She looked exhausted, and explained that she wanted to consult with me about her 91-year-old mother who had recently been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer ’s disease.   She is the primary caregiver and had missed quite a lot of work recently due to her mother’s needs.  She is [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=childhood-loss-can-emerge-decades-later/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Stumbling in the Darkness&#8217; After Loss of Daughter</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=stumbling-in-the-darkness-after-loss-of-daughter</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=stumbling-in-the-darkness-after-loss-of-daughter#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:20:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cynthia Ranyak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hospice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traumatic Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39644</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I sat there in the waiting room of the oily garage just outside of Sevierville, TN, anticipating the very long drive home to Florida, my 18-year-old daughter was flipping through racing magazines and telling me all about her new friend.  Emily had only one real date with him, and I knew that they were [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=stumbling-in-the-darkness-after-loss-of-daughter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Wondering About the Dreams of a Lost Child</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=wondering-about-the-dreams-of-a-lost-child</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=wondering-about-the-dreams-of-a-lost-child#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Feb 2011 09:34:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Diana Doyle</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39601</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[THE BEREAVED – May Williams Ward In the next room, in the low chair, In the soft dark, are you there? I do not ask it when sun is laid Through the checkered window in yellow plaid- Then love this is past seems rich enough And having had that, I can give you up, But [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=wondering-about-the-dreams-of-a-lost-child/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Moving Forward&#8217; After the Death of a Child</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=moving-forward-after-the-death-of-a-child</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=moving-forward-after-the-death-of-a-child#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:19:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Maria Malin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39666</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’ve often wondered what the recipe included when mothers were created. Part superhero, part superhuman, “moms” surely have many ingredients: one wrist that can test the temperature of baby formula, three measures of skinned knee fixability, two cups of tear catching, zero sick days, little nightly sleep, a dash of fever-gauging with a kiss on [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=moving-forward-after-the-death-of-a-child/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Days of New Normal After a Son&#8217;s Suicide</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-days-of-new-normal-after-a-sons-suicide</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-days-of-new-normal-after-a-sons-suicide#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:37:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jean Williams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39614</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Five years after my son’s suicide, I stood at my picture window and smiled at the snowbirds that hovered around the feeder. They spit fluff from the seeds and it floated down, scattering hulls on the ground. A flit of wings and a brown sparrow darted along the grass. After the snowbirds left, I became [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-days-of-new-normal-after-a-sons-suicide/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>29</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Highway of Life: Get Back on the Bus!</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-highway-of-life-get-back-on-the-bus</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-highway-of-life-get-back-on-the-bus#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:06:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Maureen Hunter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belongings, funerals, money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39606</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The bus stopped for you at GRIEF, and as you stepped off, you sank into an abyss of pain and sorrow, like nothing you had experienced before.   You don’t have to stay forever in this inhospitable place. Get back on the bus now! When we experience the loss of a loved one, we can feel [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=the-highway-of-life-get-back-on-the-bus/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Always Counting: Anniversary of a Daughter&#8217;s Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=always-counting-anniversary-of-a-daughters-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=always-counting-anniversary-of-a-daughters-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:47:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harriet Hodgson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Multiple Deaths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39648</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today is the fourth anniversary of my daughter’s death.  I’ve been dreading this day for several weeks because it reminds me, yet again, of the finality of loss.  It also brings back memories of surgeons operating on my daughter for 20 hours in a desperate attempt to save her life. Heroic as the surgeons’ efforts [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=always-counting-anniversary-of-a-daughters-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Losing a daughter to cancer</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=losing-a-daughter-to-cancer</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=losing-a-daughter-to-cancer#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 04:28:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39647</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My beautiful first born daughter died three days before she turned 26 from cancer. She fought so hard for 14 months but the cancer was so aggressive and she lost her battle. Our family never lost hope and thought that God would answer our prayers and we would have our miracle, but it did not [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=losing-a-daughter-to-cancer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ripple Effects After a Husband&#8217;s Early Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=ripple-effects-after-a-husbands-early-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=ripple-effects-after-a-husbands-early-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:44:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Adrienne Crowther</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Spouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39586</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was one of the first of my friends to get married, in 1980. I had found my soul mate, and everyone agreed that we were born to be together. We rented the parlor floor of a brownstone on an idyllic block in Brooklyn Heights. We left New York to run charter sailboats in the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=ripple-effects-after-a-husbands-early-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Supporting a Bereaved Parent, From a Distance</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=supporting-a-bereaved-parent-from-a-distance</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=supporting-a-bereaved-parent-from-a-distance#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:37:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marty Tousley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Grief & Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helping Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Topics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39529</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question from a Reader: My husband and I are dealing with his mother&#8217;s grief over losing his father (her husband) this past January.  His father passed away in a wonderful hospice in New Mexico.  I have visited the online grief support Web site offered by Hospice of the Valley, and although it helps calm my [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=supporting-a-bereaved-parent-from-a-distance/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Three Things That Should Never Be Broken… Hearts,</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=three-things-that-should-never-be-broken…-hearts</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=three-things-that-should-never-be-broken…-hearts#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:09:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Your Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39623</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I walk into the extra bedroom at my parent’s home, I notice the little frame on the dresser. A small simple frame, it holds a note that is written in my brother’s hand. On the note is written: “Three things that should never be broken; Hearts Promises And Friendships” There is a large space [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=three-things-that-should-never-be-broken…-hearts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bereaved Grandmother Turns the Corner on Grief</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=bereaved-grandmother-turns-the-corner-on-grief</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=bereaved-grandmother-turns-the-corner-on-grief#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:47:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nina Bennett</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39563</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My granddaughter was unexpectedly born still in 2003. My daughter-in-law had a healthy, uneventful, full-term pregnancy. There were no indications of any problems during her labor. The medical staff was as stunned as we were when Madeline was delivered without a heartbeat. My background is in behavioral medicine, and I have worked professionally with bereavement [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=bereaved-grandmother-turns-the-corner-on-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Grief Teaches Us Simple Lesson: Accept Death</title>
		<link>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-teaches-us-simple-lesson-accept-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-teaches-us-simple-lesson-accept-death#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:37:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Monique Antoinette</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Death of a Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guilt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[signs and connections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.opentohope.com/?p=39547</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Grief is indiscriminate of categories as to how life ends, our race, religion, gender, or any other box asking to be checked off for validation. Grief counterparts like denial, guilt, rage, craziness, plus so many other bright colored ones, will at some point fit perfectly into a box on what I call The Human Application. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.opentohope.com/?post=grief-teaches-us-simple-lesson-accept-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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