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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Ann Hood; Adoption After Loss
July 14, 2011
Ann Hood is a professional writer whose 5 year old daughter Grace, died in 2002 of a virulent form of strep. In the years that followed Ann found herself unable to read, write, or focus. As her life came back together Ann and her husband decided to do something proactive to bring joy and hope back into their lives and to give a sibling to their son, Sam. They adopted a daughter from China and named her, Anabelle. Ann is the author of the “Knitting Circle” and “The Red Thread”. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/files/2011/07/Ann-Hood_03-01.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Compassionate Friends Conference
July 13, 2011
Hello Everyone, I am in Minneapolis, Min. at The Compassionate Friends National Conference. It starts on Thursday. There will be many workshops and great speakers. Please come and join us! I will be giving 3 workshops. One of the workshops will be “How Long Does it Take? The many faces of grief. I am giving it on Saturday. Please come and join me. If you want to hear more about it and can’t make it Heidi and I could give a Webinar on the topic. Let us know what you think. Fondly, Gloria
Tawna Righter; Murder and Suicide
July 12, 2011
Tawna Righter realized after suffering two profound tragedies, that there were men, women, and children who had suffered this same heartbreak—that of a murder-suicide of friends, loved ones. As a result of her son killing his girlfriend and then himself and struggling with profound grief, Righter has followed a path toward recovery. She is the author of Living With the Unimaginable Life in the Aftermath of Murder https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/files/2011/07/Tawna-Righter_091.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Pain May be an Ally in Our Grief Journeys
July 12, 2011
I think if we all had a choice, we would want to live our lives without emotional pain. Considering that we do not live in a Utopian society, the avoidance of pain is impossible. Pain and loss is and always will be a part of our existence. Many bereaved individuals that I know have been able to thrive in the midst of catastrophic loss because of their ability to use their pain to learn how to become better people and help others. They have also learned to transcend their pain into unconditional love for others who have experienced loss and […]
Starting a Support Group in a Small Town
July 7, 2011
Question from a Reader: Do you have any ideas/resources for starting a parent support group? I live in a very small town. We have recently had several of our young people pass away, including my own son who was killed in an auto accident on Mother’s Day of this year. I have no idea how to go about starting something like this nor how to manage it. The closest mental health resources we have are an hour’s drive away. Any suggestions would be welcome. My response: I’m so sorry to learn of the tragic accident that took the life of […]
Grief Styles: Women Verbalize, Men Internalize
July 1, 2011
Spread the diaper in the position of the diamond with you at bat. Then fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitcher’s mound. Put first base and third together, bring up home plate and pin the three together. Of course, in case of rain, you gotta call the game and start all over again. ~ Baseball player Jimmy Piersall, on how to diaper a baby, 1968 Fathers don’t always get the credit they are due. Is it because they are wired differently than women? When our son would get fussy in a restaurant, my husband […]
grief and loss resources
June 26, 2011
Hello! My name is Pamela Bowers, and I am a Licenced Social Worker in the state of Ohio. I have been working for the past 30 years in the areas of pastoral, geriatric and mental health counseling. I am a mother of five children, including a stillborn daughter and a child with autism. In the past month, I have just published a book called Diamonds in Darkness: Finding Treasure in Life’s Dirtiest Places. In the book, I seek to explore the process of coming to terms with the irreversible pain and loss that happens to us in life through the […]
Hospice Comforted During the Worst of Times
June 21, 2011
We’ve just bought a brand spanking new bedroom setting. Its towering wooden bed head makes me feel so tiny…but like a Princess! Anyway, yesterday, while clearing the space for our new bed, I found hidden under the old bed, a book. A very very special book. I held it in my hands like a newborn…..and I considered not opening it because what’s on the pages makes me cry. But I had to as the written memories inside are a treasure trove for my soul. The book is from Hospice, from the saintly staff that cared for Savannah in her final months. […]
Dennis Apple; Learning to Cope After Loss
June 16, 2011
Dennis Apple is the bereaved dad of Denny, age 18, who died in 1991 after a brief illness. Dennis counsels couples and individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one. He serves as staff pastor at College Church of Nazarene in Oathe, Kansas with his wife, Buelah. He is the author of Life After the Death of My Son: What I am Learning. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/files/2011/05/Dennis-Apple_01.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
