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Do you want to read stories of others who have been where you are? Are you looking for bereavement help, and advice? Look no further. We offer over 7,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.

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When Your Companion Animal is Missing

Posted on May 4, 2009 - by Marty Tousley

By Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, DCC As a hospice bereavement counselor who also specializes in pet loss, I’ve encountered in my support groups and through my websites many distraught animal lovers whose beloved dogs or cats have gone missing. These animals may have escaped from their home or yard, run off while traveling with their owners, been taken in by a stranger, or even outright stolen. I have a special place in my heart for such pet parents, because I’ve been there, too – as I describe in this excerpt from my book, The Final Farewell: One Christmas Eve my beloved […]

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Mother’s Day Flowers

Posted on May 4, 2009 - by Monica Novak

By Beth Seyda – It was back in 1998 that I was finally eligible to celebrate my first Mother’s Day.  Our first child, Dylan, had been born in the fall of 1997 after many years of fertility issues.  But when that May holiday came around, one that I had longed to be a part of, it was a bitter-sweet day.  Yes, I was a mother, but now without a child.  Our sweet baby lived for only two weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit and died peacefully in our arms. I struggled that first Mother’s Day – I wanted to […]

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Dealing With the Death of an Abusive Mother

Posted on May 4, 2009 - by Marty Tousley

Question: Two weeks ago, my mother died of metastatic cancer. We had a strained relationship our entire life together. Growing up she could be very cruel to me, and that is what ensued as I tried to care for her. Before her illness, we hadn’t spoken in almost 3 years, but I wanted to be there for her and support her. I forgave her before she died and asked that she forgive me, and I feel a certain amount of closure which we were able to create. But just when things were going beautifully, it was as if some demonic […]

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Toasting My Mom by Eating Her Food

Posted on May 3, 2009 - by Nancy Gershman, LMSW

Three times on Mother’s Day, I’m going to raise my glass to my mother Eveline. For breakfast, it’s going to be black coffee with a cheese Danish. For lunch, it’ll be a cup of pea soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. For dinner, I’ll have a good Prime Rib with baked potatoes, fresh chives and horseradish cream. My thinking is if Eveline hasn’t come back yet as diva ectoplasm, then I need to GPS her spirit by eating her comfort foods. Food is love, comfort and memory, all bundled into one. And eating a grilled cheese sandwich will be like […]

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How Do We Cope When We Lose A Loved One?

Posted on May 2, 2009 - by admin

(by Evelyn Hall)  A friend has lost a family member, maybe a child, husband or mother. What does one say or do? Some of us don’t know what to say, so we remain silent. Others don’t know what to do, so they remain still. I was asked to write an article about losing a loved one. I feel I have the experience to write this because I lost my best friend, my mother, three years ago. She was eighty-six and her age helped me cope with her death better than I thought I would, but it didn’t stop me from […]

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‘Don’t Ever Doubt You Are a Mother’

Posted on May 2, 2009 - by Nina Bennett

By Nina Bennett — In a monumental moment of synchronicity, I was present the night my beloved granddaughter was born still. She slid into this world without drawing a breath, following a full-term, healthy pregnancy and normal, though long, labor. In a poignant moment, Jennifer, my daughter-in-law, looked at me and quietly asked, “So am I a mother or aren’t I?” With her question, my heart broke all over again. Later, Jenn told me how she resented not having the chance to parent her daughter. Oh, but Jenn, you did parent your daughter. Not in the way you dreamed of, […]

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Motherless: Still Learning to be an Orphan

Posted on May 1, 2009 - by Lisa Peacock

By Lisa Peacock — Today I woke up and felt off.  You all know what I am talking about.  That nagging feeling that something is wrong but you just do not know what.  I rolled myself out of bed and tried to throw off the heavyness that was pushing down on my shoulders.  I wanted to just curl back up in bed and go back to sleep, but I was not sure why.  As I struggled to uncover the inner answer I mechanically went about my day. I realized that I was longing for the comfort of my mother.  I […]

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Connecting With Mother After Her Death

Posted on April 30, 2009 - by Jane Greer

By Jane Greer — As difficult as Mother’s Day can be when you are facing the loss of your mom, it also can become an opportunity abounding for afterlife connection if you are open to it or are ready to open up to it. Receiving a sign from your loved one is an incredibly powerful experience that brings with it tremendous healing and comfort. Most importantly, it is something that you can initiate through “transcommunication.” In my book, The Afterlife Connection – A Therapist Reveals How To Communicate With Departed Loved Ones, I teach readers how to specifically ask for […]

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Finding Joy in a World of Losses

Posted on April 29, 2009 - by John Pete

Everything in this world that lives, will one day die. That is a fact of life. From the moment we are born we begin a journey that ends the same for every human being. And along the way, we will lose many, many things: Time, loved ones, beloved pets, material things… So in the midst of so much loss, how can we persist and thrive? Some people are bubbly and upbeat, and some are sullen and negative. And most of us exist somewhere in between. So how is it some people cope so much better with life’s ups and downs than others? And why does […]

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“Honey, Grandma Died”: Talking to Your Children About Tough Issues

Posted on April 29, 2009 - by Carol O'Dell

It’s so, so hard to have to tell your son or daughter that their grandfather, grandmother, or parent has died. We dread it so much that we avoid it, but this is a time when our children need us to most. They need us to be clear. They need us to answer their questions. How Do You Tell a Child That a Loved One Has Died? Keep it simple. Use “died”, not “He is sleeping.” Allow your child to express raw feelings freely or ask questions. Answer questions honestly and simply. Do not go into detail, unless asked. If the death […]

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