Open to Hope Articles

Articles Home

Dying Woman Experiences Heaven Before Death

Posted on June 29, 2010 - by Dr. Jane R. Westerfield

After my father, Bishop Frank L. Robertson (Brother Frank), retired from the Episcopacy of the United Methodist Church, he was asked to be the founding pastor of a new church on St. Simons Island, Georgia. He eagerly accepted the challenge, inviting many families to join the new congregation. As would be expected, these charter members of the new church worked very closely with my father and were devoted to the church and to him as their pastor. One family — Karen, Tom and their children — were enthusiastic workers in the new church until Karen was diagnosed with cancer. She […]

Five Years After Child-Loss: Evolution of Grief

Posted on June 28, 2010 - by David Roberts

I am presenting a workshop at The Compassionate Friends national conference next month entilted: “The Bereaved Parent- Five Years Later.” Linda Findlay of Mourning Discoveries and I originally developed the idea for this workshop to discuss the needs of the later grief experiences of bereaved parents. We chose five years, because for many of us, it takes that long to adjust to a world without the physical presence of our children. Linda and I first presented this workshop at the Bereaved Parents of the USA national conference in New York in 2009, and it appeared to be very well received. […]

Dawn to Dusk: One Father’s Marathon Love

Posted on June 27, 2010 - by Nicole Alston

One can never be sure what to expect of Marathon Sunday’s weather in New York City. Reflecting back on that Sunday, November 5, 2006, for spectators, the temperature was seasonably brisk. But for runners, like my husband Paul and his running mates, the weather was perfect. Although this would be a second marathon for Paul, this event marked the first organized fundraiser for the Skye Foundation, and a first marathon for TEAM SKY. The team was comprised of a special group of fathers recruited by what I would describe as Divine serendipity, as their lives had been either touched or […]

Teens Often Best at Consoling Each Other

Posted on June 26, 2010 - by Kay Clowney

I’ve gotten accustomed in my 60s to having that phone call that a friend has become very ill or died. It’s not that I’m callused but I’m knocking on the door of the Golden Years. But it’s always a shock to the system — physically, emotionally, and spiritually — when a young person dies suddenly. On spring break recently, four seniors at North Little Rock High School died in a one-car accident while traveling to Florida on spring break. None of the “if onlys” applied. If only they had been wearing seat belts. (They were.) If only they hadn’t been […]

Despite Loss of Son, It Remains ‘A Wonderful World’

Posted on June 24, 2010 - by Laura Klouzek

I love the song “Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. I used to have it as a ringtone on my cell phone. I took it off my phone in 2008 when my son, Lucas, passed away. I heard it every time someone called during those two weeks to check on Lucas’s progress, or to see how we were faring as we were living in the waiting rooms at the hospital. Lucas didn’t get to come home with us when we left there. He had already left to be with his Father in Heaven. After that day, I had to take that […]

For Widows: Love is Out There, But Are You?

Posted on June 23, 2010 - by Catherine Tidd

Whether you’re widowed or not, love is a tricky business. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been married, been messily married, or have gotten involuntarily unmarried (I think that’s a better term than “widowed,” don’t you?). The big question is, do we ever know when it’s the right time to fall in love? I personally think falling in love is like having a baby. There is no right time. You can wait until your career takes off. You can wait until you feel like you’ve finally sown your last oat. You can wait until that hideous color you dyed your […]

Poem: These Golden Moments in Time

Posted on June 21, 2010 - by Louise Lagerman

These Golden moments in Time Are caught between the stars and the sky You will have yours and I will have mine These Golden moments in Time Are like delicate flowers clinging on the vine Once the rain comes, they will be hard to find These Golden Moments in Time Are like the tender snowflakes gently drifting to the ground Just to perfect to live or to stay around These Golden Moments in Time Savor each moment because they are fleeting For that you can be sure So innocent and magical they will leave you wanting more Each smile, each […]

To We Who Have Lost Our Fathers, Happy Father’s Day

Posted on June 20, 2010 - by Ligia Houben

A few weeks ago, it was my father’s birthday. Although he died 38 years ago, his memory is always in my heart. And it is in these days — anniversaries, birthdays, Father’s Day — that his memory comes to life again with more intensity, with more pain, with more emotions. It is in these days when we remember once more how much we miss our loved one. As the head of my family, my father was the source of strength and stability. When I lost him, I felt something of me had gone with him. For many years, I needed […]

Living the Loss on Father’s Day

Posted on June 20, 2010 - by Mitch Carmody

The dogs were barking strangely one early morning in July of 1970; I was 15 years old. I knew someone had probably driven up our driveway and was taking their time to come to the door, which was driving the dogs nuts. I was up early to get ready to bring my dog to the county fair as a 4-H project and was eager for the day. I went to the window and peered out to see who could be there this early in the morning. I then spied my Mom walking up with two neighbors close by her side, […]

Father Died Young but Left Lasting Legacy

Posted on June 19, 2010 - by Robbie Miller Kaplan

I see my mother everywhere. Though I never looked like her, I can now see a physical resemblance and so many of my qualities remind me of her. Not so for my dad. Everyone said I looked like him, but I no longer can see the resemblance. I never had the good fortune to get to know him, and he wasn’t part of my life long enough for me to emulate him in any way. My father died when I was eleven, and he spent the last year of his life in the hospital. While his death was devastating, my […]