Open to Hope Articles
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 3,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.
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Natasha Richardson’s Family Donates Her Organs, Honors Her Life
March 28, 2009
By Reg Green — Natasha Richardson’s heart-wrenching death from a skiing accident should explode at least one myth: that donating the organs of a loved one is in some way disrespectful. It’s clear that her family made their decision out of love and that, by helping others, her stature has been enhanced not diminished. And that is true of all those other decisions to donate made by anonymous families in lonely hospital rooms around the world. They allow the doctors to take the body parts of someone they love, not because they don’t care any more but because they feel […]
Young Widow Overcomes Her Death Wish
March 27, 2009
By Michele Neff Hernandez — It is an odd and frightening sensation to wish you were dead. After my husband died, I fervently wished I could die, too. The first time I read that grieving people sometimes fantasize about death, I was relieved. My entire life I had appreciated the gift of life; to suddenly and frequently wish it away was a disconcerting and lonely experience. When my husband, Phil, was hit by a car, the initial shock provided a buffer to the complicated emotions that would gather to haunt me in the days and months to come. As the […]
Widow Feels Rage About ‘God’s Plan’
March 26, 2009
Question from Chris: I lost my husband, Fred, on 1/5/09 after 35 years and 35 days of marriage. I am still, almost 3 months later, so devastated. We have 3 sons and I have a job. So I can stay busy. But the nights and weekends are hell. I take care of my 80-year-old father who is on dialysis (my husband and I did this together for the past 8 years). I would tell my husband we will have time together after my father goes. Now I will be left alone with no one to comfort and console me. I […]
Handling Money When You’ve Lost a Spouse
March 24, 2009
By Sandra Pesmen — We recently attended several financial seminars given by different money management firms to gather information about handling money when you’re grieving. Our goal is to help people during a time when it’s difficult to make wise decisions about anything, including money. One of the most important things I learned is that people who depend on fixed incomes, which includes many widows and widowers, are definitely in FEAR mode right now as we watch the Dow bob up and down on CNN. You’re forgiven if you want to rush to your broker, sell everything, and bury the […]
Keeping Your Home After Losing a Loved One
March 23, 2009
By Tony Falzano — In Massachusetts, Bill and Sharon have emotionally “shut down” and ignored their daily responsibilities, including paying their mortgage. Three months after the death of their teenage daughter, they were on their way to losing their home to foreclosure. In California, a middle-aged woman named Sonya, suddenly lost her husband. She had no insurance, no savings and no job. She did have 2 teenagers and a seriously delinquent mortgage. The stress caused by the loss of her husband was now heightened by the prospect of losing her home too. Every day, across the country, delinquent homes turn […]
When Death Comes as a Shock…
March 20, 2009
Actress Natasha Richardson died yesterday–from a head injury. She fell on the bunny slopes while skiing with her son in Canada. She was 45. Her death comes as a shock to her family. As hard as it is to be a caregiver and watch someone you love die slowly, it’s even more heartbreaking to have your time cut short. Her husband, Liam Neeson, their children, and all her family members are facing hard times. Consoling one another when you don’t understand yourself. The world just doesn’t make sense. You aren’t supposed to die at 45. You aren’t supposed to die from just falling down. […]
Writing Thank You Notes After a Funeral
March 19, 2009
By Beverly Chantalle McManus Over the past six years since Steve’s death, in grief workshops and counseling sessions, I’ve talked with hundreds of people whose loved ones have died. One of the most common hurdles in the grief and loss process is writing thank you notes acknowledging the thoughtful care, the flowers, the cards, the remembrances, from those who surround us during these tough times. I know that for me, despite the immense gratitude I felt in my heart for the thoughtfulness of friends and family, the act of writing the thank you notes was all but impossible. In some […]
Wearing Husband’s Clothes Keeps His Memory Close
March 15, 2009
By Michele Neff Hernandez For the first few weeks after Phil’s death, anything that had touched his body was sacred. His shoes were sitting where he last left them, his lunchbox remained on top of the refrigerator, and his toothbrush was standing next to mine in the holder. One day, I found an eyelash of his and pressed it into a plastic rosary holder for safekeeping. Three days before he died, he was working in our attic and left dirty fingerprints on the top of the door in our bedroom. I was annoyed when I saw the black marks on […]
Widow Asks: Why Can’t I Cry?
March 10, 2009
Question from Phyllis: My husband of 54 years passed away one year ago and except for a few tears the night he passed away, I have not been able to shed a tear since. He was 75 years old, and had a number of physical ailments including diabetes and chronic kidney failure. He was living in a nursing home – recovering from the 5th broken bone in less than a year — when he just stopped breathing. I have gone through everything you have to do when you lose a spouse — preparations and funeral, plus the added turmoil of […]
