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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What Do the First Five Years Look Like?
November 29, 2016
Exactly five years ago today, our daughter, Becca, left this earth. I have been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting, trying to put so many abstract thoughts and feelings into something concrete, like words on a page. How is my life different now, besides the obvious? What is good, what is bad, and what is still just plain ugly? What have I learned that might help those who are on this path behind me? So here are five things I have discovered over the last five years. There are no rules or timelines for grief! My husband, Dave, and […]
When Tragedy Strikes By Laura Diehl
November 28, 2016
After the death of a child, there is no closure. It is like learning how to live with an amputation—you are forever changed and need to learn how to live a new “normal.” There can be a feeling of desperation to find someone farther ahead on the path who can understand the crushing pain that makes you feel like you can’t even breathe at times. Laura Diehl was plunged into that place with the death of her daughter, and meets the deep need to connect with others who have experienced what cannot be put into words. When Tragedy Strikes(Morgan James Publishing […]
Organ Donation: Yie Foong, LMSW and Judy Armijo
November 17, 2016
Yie Foong, LMSW is the family services outreach coordinator for LiveOnNY a nonprofit, dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant in the greater New York metropolitan area. Judy Armijo is the mom of deceased daughter, Alexandra who gave life to others as a registered organ donor. LiveOnNY serves a culturally and ethnically diverse population of 13 million. http://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/opentohope.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/04055827/Foong-Armijo-MP3-for-Audio-Podcasting.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Christmas Grief
November 1, 2016
Even though our daughter, Cyndi, died over 11 years ago, the season of Christmas is still the hardest time for me. Remembering our little girl opening presents and playing with her five siblings as a child still sears my mind, and constricts my heart. My husband and I were blessed with six children in 12 years of marriage. We were awash with Christmas wishes and presents when the children were young. As they grew older, married, and moved to other areas, they still came to our house to celebrate the holidays — until 2005. That was Cyndi’s last Christmas. She […]
Día de Muertos: Eat, Speak, and Remember
October 28, 2016
The Oxford English dictionary defines “remember” as to “have in or be able to bring one’s mind an awareness of someone or something from the past.” I have thought a lot about remembering or memory since our son Mack died on New Year’s Eve 2012, two weeks shy of his 9th birthday. Often a memory of a moment between us will bubble up unbidden and in the early days of mourning these would pierce me as a reminder of what I had lost. As the years have unfolded, I have come to relish those moments and even invite them. Recently, […]
Families For Safe Streets: Preventing the Death of a Child
October 20, 2016
The Families for Safe Streets was founded by a group of bereaved parents committed to increasing their children’s safety. Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley interview Amy Cohen—Sammy’s mother—who works closely with this organization. She’s a founding member, along with Dana Lerner (mother of Cooper) who’s a psychotherapist. Sammy was killed while crossing the street in front of his house. Lerner works in private practice, and was influential in passing Cooper’s Law after he was killed when a cab ran over him in Manhattan. She also serves on the board of Cab Riders United. The death of a child is always […]
How Child-Loss Changes Your Relationships
October 5, 2016
There is a great divide between the relationships I have with those in my life six years ago and those just getting to know me. The more time that passes since watching my son take his last breath, the greater this divide grows. I was reminded of this today when confronted with some difficult situations that involved people on the newer side of the chasm. When I meet people now, the fact that I lost a child does not come up early on in our conversations. I share that information with select people. If I think my story will inspire […]
Episode 85: Transforming Grief After The Death of A Mother and Daughter with Lo Anne Mayer
October 2, 2016
On this show Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley interviewed Lo Anne Mayer on the death of her mother and how she found comfort and understanding by conversing with her mother through meditation and writing. After the tragic suicide of her daughter, Cyndi, Lo Anne again found comfort in writing as a conduit between herself, her mother, and her deceased daughter. She is the author of Celestial Conversations and teaches her simple and effective method to the bereaved.
Episode 84: Military Loss with Jeanne Harris Weaver and Donn Weaver
September 25, 2016
On this show Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley interviewed artist Jeanne Harris Weaver and her husband, Donn Weaver, a retired Foreign Service Diplomat. Their son, Todd, an Army Ranger, was killed while on deployment in Afghanistan. In his memory, Jeanne created twenty-one pictures in the year following Todd’s death. A tribute clip is shown honoring Bonnie Carroll, founder of TAPS, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.
