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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Three Years After Son’s Death, the Emptiness is Sacred
January 8, 2016
“It is your season, Elizabeth,” our priest greeted me, more than eight months pregnant and my body filled to bursting with our son, John, during Advent 2003. “It is,” I laughed. “I can’t wait to hold him!” Our daughter, Izzy, six at the time, was dubious about a little brother joining her domain in January. We began reading the first chapter of Luke out loud feeling a kinship with Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, enjoying the company of her cousin Mary while they were both expecting their sons. And, like their sons, our John, nicknamed “Mack,” came to us […]
Hope and Clarity in the Middle of Nowhere
January 5, 2016
Lately, I have begun to revisit previous articles and blogs that I have authored. Perhaps as I grow older, I value nostalgia more, or perhaps it is the value I place on the past as a teacher. Regardless, I always discover new insights when I revisit previous writings. The majority of the content of the article that follows was originally published by Hello Grief in November of 2013. I have eliminated or changed some words here because the terminology I used then to describe my path doesn’t apply to me in this moment. I believe that as we evolve after loss, how we conceptualize […]
Finding Christmas and Peace after the Death of a Child
December 25, 2015
Decades have passed since my infant daughter’s first Christmas. Baby Helen was only a month old when Christmas came. Because my husband and I were financially strapped, there were few presents under the tree, and most were for the baby. When I went to bed on Christmas Eve, I barely slept. All I could think about was the excitement of Helen’s first Christmas. After years of waiting, we were the parents of a newborn baby. My mother-in-law’s friends were eager to see Helen, so I decided to have an afternoon gathering for them. I made the invitations with gift wrap, […]
Keep the Spirit of Your Loved One Alive at Christmas
December 23, 2015
When the holiday season arrives, it takes me back in time. It is a bittersweet relive of the memories of Christmas past. I gave birth to two sons, Chris was my youngest and Jason my first born. The boys were best friends and partners in crime. My holidays were full of joy and meaning because of the excitement and fun that the boys created for me. Their father left when they were four and six and so it was always the three of us…and any animals that were able to join in the fun. My Christmas mornings were always the […]
Episode 59: Charitysmith: Help In Starting a Foundation
December 14, 2015
On this show Dr. Gloria Horsley and co-host Alan Pedersen, Executive Director of The Compassionate Friends, interview Tim Meadows, board member of Charitysmith, regarding the death of his son Christopher and how Charitysmith inspired the family to start a foundation in his name. Ashley Galleher, Executive Director of Charitysmith and a bereaved sibling, discusses the history of Charitysmith and explains its mission. A clip is shown of the Josias A. Sterling Memorial Fund. Both Ashley and Tim have presented at the Compassionate Friends national conferences.
Don’t Let Grief Define Your Life: Maria Caso
December 10, 2015
Maria Caso is a compelling speaker, certified life coach, grief recovery specialist and suicide survivor. She masterfully guides her clients to redefine how they approach life. Through transformational dialogue she provides not only a strategy to dissolve obstacles but a system of accountability to keep them on track towards success. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/OpenToHope_MariaCaso.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
First Christmas without a Son
December 4, 2015
The first year my husband and I were married, we lived in Nurnberg, Germany. He was in the army, and I was not about to let him go to Germany for a year without me. We celebrated our first Christmas in Nurnberg. It was a fun time, it was a tough time. We had always spent Christmas with family, and our first Christmas as a couple, we were thousands of miles away, and sometimes pretty lonely. I bought some Christmas music, and played it over and over. Every time the song, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” came on, I would […]
Writing Your Way Through Grief: Janet Burroway
December 3, 2015
Janet Burroway is the author of plays, poetry, children’s books, and eight novels including The Buzzards, Raw Silk, Opening Nights, and the Bridge of Sand. Her Writing Fiction, (9th edition), is the most widely used creative writing text in America. Her book Losing Tim was written after the suicide of her son Tim. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/OpenToHope_JanetBurroway.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Is Christmas Still Christmas?
December 2, 2015
Anyone who has lost someone they love knows the numbing-down effect that death brings. Life becomes in some ways a pantomime, a surreal going-through-the-motions of reality. Especially, this is true at the holiday seasons. Three months after our son’s death, I was on my way to have breakfast with a close friend. I began crying all the way there, and even as I sat down at the restaurant, I lost it. For me — a person who always avoided crying in public — the veneer was being stripped away, raw and revealing. Everything in that establishment was festive and happy. […]
