Open to Hope Articles

Articles Home

New Year’s Resolutions for the Caregiver

Posted on January 2, 2014 - by Carol O'Dell

By Carol O’Dell —

New Year’s Resolutions After a Spouse-Loss

Posted on January 1, 2014 - by Laurie Spector & Ruth Spector Webster

Give yourself a big pat on the back! You’ve just survived the holidays, one of the toughest times for anyone grieving a loss. Now you’re probably looking ahead and wondering how you’ll ever make it through the next twelve months. Here are five suggestions to help gently ease you along the bumpy road of bereavement: 1. Remember to keep any resolutions realistic. You’re not your usual self while you’re grieving, so be gentle with yourself. 2. Set at least one small, “bite-size” goal every day, such as tackling a couple of tasks. Be sure to reward yourself after each effort. […]

Good-bye to Good-byes

Posted on December 30, 2013 - by Max Lucado

Good-bye. No one wants to say it. Not the spouse of an astronaut. Not the mom of a soon-to-be preschooler. Not the father of the bride. Not the husband in the convalescent home. Not the wife in the funeral home. Especially not her. Death is the most difficult good-bye of all. I write these words freshly reminded of the ache of saying good-bye. Our church has had five funerals in the last seven days, from the memorial for a baby to the burial of a ninety-four-year-old friend. The sorrow took its toll on me. I found myself moping about, sad. […]

Holidays — Survival or Defeat?

Posted on December 30, 2013 - by Kay Bevington

The forthcoming holidays are often the most difficult times of the year for bereaved parents, now childless. I have some suggestions that will hopefully assist you during this season. My husband and I have attempted some of the following since our daughter, Rhonda, died and others are ideas from other bereaved friends. YOU WILL SURVIVE the HOLIDAYS! Those first few years of bereavement cause us to think that we’ll certainly die without our child/children. You may not be able to ENJOY the holiday but rest assured that there will be a day in your future when you’ll be able to […]

Creating a Spiritual Path to Healing

Posted on December 30, 2013 - by Harriet Hodgson

In 2007, after my grandchildren lost both parents in separate car crashes, I remember what I said to them outside the hospital emergency room entrance. All of us, especially my twin grandchildren, were paralysed with shock. “You’re coming home with us,” I said. At that moment, I knew my life had changed. I had a new mission and it was sacred. My husband and I shared this mission. We didn’t know where it would lead or the challenges we would face. Five years have passed since our grandchildren moved in with us and, though they are now legal adults, our mission continues. The word sacred implies spirituality. […]

Telling a Child about a Death

Posted on December 29, 2013 - by Elizabeth Wagele

Asking “what if” is helpful when it includes thinking things through in order to be prepared. One example is: “What if my child needs to be told some difficult news? How can I best handle the situation?” It helps to deliver bad news slowly and sensitively. Children appreciate adults being honest with them. When you withhold from them, they feel rejected. When Marvin was eleven, his sister suddenly wasn’t there. No one in his family said anything about what had happened to her. He started to have terrible nightmares about her, trouble sleeping, and barely made it through school. When […]

Good Grief, It’s Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2013 - by Rich Guy Miller

I am troubled by the many people I know who are suffering today, Christmas Day. Many are grieving recent deaths. Others are grieving deaths that get revisited every Christmas. Almost a week ago, my friend Martha posted on Facebook something to the effect that “Holidays may be nice for other people, but not for me. This is probably the worst holiday season of my entire life.” She suffered the recent loss of her father and was also dealing with other job related losses. Her comment reminded me of a neighbor (I will call her “K”) whom I was checking in […]

Our First Christmas Without Clint

Posted on December 24, 2013 - by Debra Reagan

My life is divided into before and after, so each holiday or special event that happens my mind rushes back to compare the before and the after. Before Clint’s death, we had the traditional Christmas celebrations. After his death, it was too painful to think of having a Christmas without him. I tried for the sake of others in the family. When I opened the box of Christmas decorations, my heart sank to the lowest depths possible. We all have certain things that hit us the most; for me in the early times it was the Christmas stocking. Stockings had […]

10 Ways to Help a Family with a Loss During Holidays

Posted on December 23, 2013 - by Kay Lewis

During the holidays, one of the most difficult events that can happen is when someone passes away. What do you say to or do for the family without adding to the holiday dark cloud? 1. Strictly avoid a holiday “tie in.” In other words, don’t link the death with the holiday by saying something like, “It is awful that it happened right before (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, New Years, Valentines, birthdays, etc.).” Put yourself in their shoes. Every time you hear the tie-in, it deepens the sorrow and is a set-up for future years. 2. Avoid “I’m so sorry for your […]

Death Cafés: Comfortable Places to Talk about Death

Posted on December 22, 2013 - by Elizabeth Wagele

Death as a topic for discussion has appeared on the front pages of The Los Angeles Times, “Passing Thoughts at L.A.’s first Death Café,” and the New York Times in recent months. Both articles were on the international Death Café movement, where people get together to exchange their various ideas about death. Many of the participants feel more comfortable talking about death after attending the meetings. Not only that, but when they talk about it, death seems less frightening. With less fear of death, people can hopefully focus on living their lives more fully. Paula Span’s article in the NY […]