The Open to Hope Community

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Articles:

Life on Hold-The Weight of Death

For the past few days I?ve been walking around feeling like there?s a big weight hanging over me ready to fall at any moment. Getting things done has been a chore. Making plans beyond the next day has taken all of my willpower. It feels as though my life is on hold and that I?m just waiting.

Grief: Then and Now

Over one hundred years ago, during the Victorian era, death and grief were popular subjects for poems, songs and stories. Grieving was considered a natural and acceptable part of the culture. People in mourning wore black clothing and/or black arm bands, women wore black veils, and it was common to see a black wreath on the door of the home of a bereaved family, announcing publicly that this was a home of sorrow. Bereavement was conspicuous and there were very specific societal customs designed to support people during the mourning process. However, during that same era, no person of breeding […]

Honoring the Dead

Honoring the dead is accomplished in a myriad of ways and degrees, depending on culture, religion, and present social perspective. Most cultures pay respects to their dead in the funeral event. The Irish have the stereotypical ” wake ” , where they laugh , cry, and converse at length about the loved one’s life- good and bad.

Hospice Care Services

In this article, I will outline key points my fellow hospice team members and I have observed in our day to day work.. I have worked over 12 years as a Spiritual Counselor in Hospice Care. Each person teaches me something, though it is I who is supposed to minister to them in the final moments. For my colleagues and I, working in hospice is an ongoing challenge and learning experience, that presents us with learning of the deepest kind – on a soul level. In this article, I share with you the perspectives of my colleagues and myself, at […]

Poem: More than You’ll Ever Know

A Poem from Kim H to Trevor I miss you more than you’ll ever know The world is not the same without you here Sadness washes over me without a moments notice Your presence can be so clear I wish I could me that Mom again The one who answered every call And laughed at all your stories Who lent the understanding ear I loved being there for you I looked forward to all that lay ahead I wanted the best for you I lost such a good friend I still long to see that bright smile That lit up […]

Finding Your Own Strength When Those You Love Aren’t Supportive

If your “family and friends” don’t honor and respect what you need when you are going through a period of loss, you may decide you need to limit your time with them for the time being. Although this is a difficult thing to do, It’s incredibly important for you to surround yourself with people and situations that support you in healing and moving forward.

We Did It!

Dear Friends and Family, I want to thank each and every one of you that helped support the campaign against GMC. Our actions have helped raise awareness about depression, the number one cause of suicide! ? I have had e-mails from NAMI, (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill ) *GM’s decision is a victory for all of the mental health and suicide prevention community,” said NAMI executive director Michael J. Fitzpatrick. “We’ve made the point that mental illness and suicide are to be taken seriously and that we will not be marginalized.” and AFSP ( American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) […]

Our Feeling State

Ever wonder what it would be like to have a life without feeling? Would it be possible to enjoy anything at all? Could one be happy or sad without being in touch with their feelings? I would have to say impossible! Our feelings are our life blood. They fuel the energy that we create with.? They tell us about our state of being, happiness or sadness, and everything in between. Our feelings are our life. They drive us. They unnerve us. They jostle us into action.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Reaches Agreement with General Motors

Earlier this week the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention asked General Motors to pull an advertisement and cease any further promotion and marketing of an ad, which featured a GM factory robot who gets laid off, becomes depressed and then makes a suicide attempt. This morning our Foundation had several constructive conversations with GM Executives, and I am pleased to announce that GM has decided to pull the ad, including plans to air it on upcoming television programs and on the company?s website. GM has indicated that they will be revising the ad, removing the scene with the suicide attempt […]

The Second Annual Mother’s Day Bereavement Ceremony – Vandalia, Ohio

This is from Holly Mutlu: ? Wanted to email you and let you know that we will be hosting The Second Annual Mother’s Day Bereavement Ceremony Saturday, May 12th, 2007 at 11am.? This will include an uplifting service, a balloon launch and a free luncheon.? The whole service is free but we do ask that you register! ? It is Saturday, May 12, at 11am at the Vandalia Christian Tabernacle in Vandalia, Ohio (located just off I-75) The service is to honor both our children and the Mother’s on this special day.? There is a video tribute during the service, […]

Open to Hope is an online community offering inspirational stories of loss, hope and recovery. We believe hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.