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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Loss, Bereavement and Robin Williams
August 13, 2014
I have been a Robin Williams fan since he appeared on television as the funny alien in Mork and Mindy, “Na Nu, Na Nu.” As the years went on, I came to see that there was a deep and sensitive side to Robin, because it came through his work and yet I, like many of you, was unaware of the depth of his suffering. I began exploring the spirit realm when I was 20, and an amazing spiritual healing experience with the late British spiritual healer Harry Edwards, woke me up to the presence of an invisible realm. From that […]
Message of Robin Williams’ Death: Mental Illness Can Kill
August 12, 2014
Robin Williams got the world’s attention by making us belly laugh. He was also able to bring tears to our eyes by the meaningful messages he would leave us in a profound line of a movie or a conclusion of a stand-up comedy act. Now that our country is in a crisis due to drug-related deaths, he is leaving us with a message that mental illness, drug addiction, and alcoholism must be taken seriously because they can kill you. This death is untimely for Robin and his family. However, it is timely for those fighting for their lives. My son […]
Wanted: Soul Sister in Grief
August 6, 2014
I have secretly been looking for a place to post a want-ad for a partner in grief. In my small hometown, I don’t know anyone who has lost a child. There is a support group about 30 minutes away but despite my efforts to connect with any of these women outside of the group that has not yet happened. It has been four years since I lost my sweet boy. Four years and not one connection. To say I am lonely would be incorrect. I have an amazing husband and a house full of children. I have a handful of […]
Candace Lightner: Death and the Hero’s Journey
July 31, 2014
Candace Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in 1980 after the death of her daughter Cari. She continues working both nationally and internationally to promote highway safety. She is founder and executive director of We Save Lives working on THE 3 D’s: DRUNK, DRUGGED AND DISTRACTED driving. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/Candace-Lightner.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Death and the Hero’s Journey : Candace Lightner
July 31, 2014
Candace Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in 1980 after the death of her daughter Cari. She continues working both nationally and internationally to promote highway safety. She is founder and executive director of We Save Lives working on THE 3 D’s: DRUNK, DRUGGED AND DISTRACTED driving https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/Candace-Lightner.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Navigating Grief and Trials: Kathleen D. Hamilton
July 24, 2014
Kathleen D. Hamilton has suffered a number of tragedies including the deaths of her mother and twelve year old daughter. She has coped with a brain-injured son and has grieved two broken marriages. Reaching out to help others she has been a facilitator with “The Compassionate Friends” and has worked in the funeral industry. She is the author of A Legitimate Journey: Navigating Grief and Trials in the Light. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/Kathleen-D-Hamilton.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Colors of the Spirit: We Are All One in Grief
July 24, 2014
Embracing Sacred Law From July 11, 2014 through July 13,2014, I attended the 37th National Conference of The Compassionate Friends in Chicago, Illinois.I have been attending and presenting workshops for this great organization whose focus is to provide hope and support to families who have experienced the death of a child, since 2008. I always look forward to meeting old friends, making new ones ,and for the opportunity to share teachings that I have discovered since the last conference. Since my daughter Jeannine’s death at age 18 of cancer, on 3/1/03, I have undergone a metamorphosis from an uncertain, pain […]
Five Years After Son’s Death, Dad Wonders if ‘the Blue Skies are Coming’
July 2, 2014
As the weather finally begins to catch up with the seasons, I find myself looking back. Beyond the still blue waters and flowered meadows. Back to the time when the only contrast to the vast expanses of ice were the dirt streaked mountains of accumulated snow. When I think about this year’s record snowfall and sub zero temperatures I can not help but see the similarities between the brutality of winter and the unrelenting nature of grief. The bitterness and isolation, the amassing woe and the agony of every step. It will be five years in August since my […]
Breaking the Rules of Grief
June 30, 2014
An excerpt from the Introduction of Breaking the Rules of Grief, A Bereaved Mother’s Journey. By Shannon Harris I should begin by warning you that there will be no substantial evidence supporting the ideas in this book. These are all my conflicted thoughts in black and white, perfectly spaced in Times New Roman size 12. Should my ideas mean something more than that to someone, great. If not, that’s okay too. After reading countless books and articles on grief and bereavement for parents who have lost a child, I think I’ve had enough information. Not that I am an expert by […]
