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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Son is Present in the Birds
April 5, 2011
My interest in animals started at an early age. My mom, having been raised on a farm, was a regular Dr. Doolittle. We always seemed to have a dog or cat, a bird and at one point even an eight-inch alligator which was sent to us from Florida. When these animals died, we had elaborate funerals and buried our birds and the alligator in a shoebox full of dried leaves and flowers surrounding them. My mom was pulled from the kitchen to stand with my brother and me as we each said something thoughtful about them. The number of tears […]
Does Time Heal?
April 3, 2011
I discovered this quote from singer/songwriter Jack Johnson: And if they tell you love fades over time, tell them there is no such thing as time. His quote also got me thinking about the passage of time as it relates to our grief journeys. Many in our society believe that there is a set time period for resolving our grief. In six months to a year, it is generally expected that one should be “over” his/her grief and return to life, as he/she knew it. What is also implied is that there are practical solutions to the losses that we experience. […]
Cognitive Dissonance in the Hereafter
April 2, 2011
I am in frequent communication, to a greater or lesser degree, with my teenage son who passed in a train accident at the end of 2007. The bridge that has been built between us, with the assistance of many others, has allowed enough clarity for a series of books to be written by my son, still 19 years old by earth years if he had remained. The first book is just now off the printing presses. Now, this is a very personal experience and I am not trying to convince anyone of anything. I am just sharing, but understand that […]
Writing a Book With Deceased Son
March 22, 2011
With the publication of my son’s book less than two weeks away, the cat will be out of the bag, and it will be known that less than two weeks after his passing (in 2007), I was getting contact messages from him. Two years later, I started writing the book that he wanted to pen; therefore, I would say I have a rather unusual perspective on grief. And while I am a physician, I don’t claim to be anymore of an expert than anyone else. But it did provide for an experience that is worth sharing. First and foremost, my […]
Spring Challenges Bereaved Mom to Find Hope
March 21, 2011
Springtime is upon us, along with all the excitement of new growth, new life, and new beginnings. But spring doesn’t hold such new hope and life for everyone. Those who have endured the death of a loved one don’t always welcome the new seasons. My son died in mid-winter, so when spring came around, I scoffed at all of the new beginnings around me. It’s easy to get caught up in feelings of anger, resentment, and isolation. But it’s much harder to embrace change, learn from it, grow from it, and make a new normal. For me, it took time, […]
Grieving With Help After My Son’s Suicide
March 20, 2011
We were not left alone after our son, Joshua, died by suicide. People from across the states took the time to listen and some cried with us. It would take pages to mention them by name, but because of who he was to Joshua, I’ll chose one. After Joshua’s memorial, when the hall emptied out and the doors locked, Dana, Joshua’s childhood friend, stood with my husband and me and asked questions. “Why do you think Joshua did this? What was his frame of mind like before it happened?” And other such inquiries. What Dana did from then on was stay […]
In Barrens of Grief, Hope Still Blooms
March 19, 2011
Losing a child is like falling into a fathomless pit, a deep well of sorrow that leaves an enormous void in the center of life. One moment, you are on top of the world, an instant later you are plummeting into the deepest depths of despair. Tumbling like a stone into utter desolation. Where sorrow pours out in a cascade of memories and mixes with the deluge of tears. The pressures are immense, and the solitude is unbearable. Since my son Brandon’s death in August of 2009, I have been struggling to pull myself out of this dreadful hollow. But, […]
For Men: Living a Regret-Free Life After Loss
March 17, 2011
Hands down, the strongest, most destructive part of grief is regret. That ever-present feeling that you could have done more. Regret can become so strong that everything else about life gets tossed aside. It is exactly what happened to me. The night before I lost my 17-year old son, Michael, in an auto accident, he had come over from his mother’s house to get something from my house. He was outside in the driveway playing basketball with my oldest son, Ronald. I looked down from the window upstairs and watched them for a few minutes. He didn’t see me. I […]
Lori Ann Wood; Growing Through Adversity
March 17, 2011
Lori Ann Wood is the mother of eight children and 20 grandchildren. In 1983 Lori Ann lost her infant son Brant in a drowning accident. As well as having a strong commitment to family Lori is an artist specializing is portrait painting. Lori Ann has a strong spiritual message to share with others who have suffered loss and is the author of A Mighty Change: Please Don’t Let My Baby Die. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/files/2011/03/OTH_Lori-Wood_11_29_10.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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