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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Amy Maddox: Loss of a Baby
July 8, 2010
Amy Maddox’s infant died of lung infection. Here, she shares her story of healing. To Learn More about Amy Maddox https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/OTH_Amy-Maddocks-05_10_10.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Bent But Not Broken After the Loss of a Child
July 8, 2010
The beautiful flowering tree planted in Nina’s memory on Memorial Day a year short of a decade ago (by her favorite cousins) looked so regal and smelled so delicious yesterday. I like to think it flowers this time of year as a special birthday message from my “baby girl”. However, with the vicious storm we had last evening, I watched the soft white petals drift and swirl to the ground, as if a deluge of tears from a breaking heart. Today, it sits almost bare – a few petals still hanging on for dear life, unable to let go, desperate […]
Susan Geismann: Storm of Hope
July 1, 2010
Susan Geismann’s pregnant step-daughter was struck by lightening and killed, and she went on to find hope after her loss. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/OTH_Suzanne-Giesemann-05_10_10.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Graduation Historic Day for Parentless Children Raised by Grandparents
July 1, 2010
June was graduation month for most American high schools. Our twin grandchildren graduated then, and my husband and I attended the ceremony. It was an emotional experience because we are GRGs, grandparents raising grandchildren. We assumed these roles after our grandchildren’s parents — our daughter and son-in-law — were killed in separate car crashes. Graduation was an historic day for our grandchildren and for us. Sitting on bleachers makes us uncomfortable, so we arrived early to get one of the few chairs that had been set out. A multi-generational Somali family sat behind us, and I could sense their excitement. […]
Five Years After Child-Loss: Evolution of Grief
June 28, 2010
I am presenting a workshop at The Compassionate Friends national conference next month entilted: “The Bereaved Parent- Five Years Later.” Linda Findlay of Mourning Discoveries and I originally developed the idea for this workshop to discuss the needs of the later grief experiences of bereaved parents. We chose five years, because for many of us, it takes that long to adjust to a world without the physical presence of our children. Linda and I first presented this workshop at the Bereaved Parents of the USA national conference in New York in 2009, and it appeared to be very well received. […]
Dawn to Dusk: One Father’s Marathon Love
June 27, 2010
One can never be sure what to expect of Marathon Sunday’s weather in New York City. Reflecting back on that Sunday, November 5, 2006, for spectators, the temperature was seasonably brisk. But for runners, like my husband Paul and his running mates, the weather was perfect. Although this would be a second marathon for Paul, this event marked the first organized fundraiser for the Skye Foundation, and a first marathon for TEAM SKY. The team was comprised of a special group of fathers recruited by what I would describe as Divine serendipity, as their lives had been either touched or […]
Despite Loss of Son, It Remains ‘A Wonderful World’
June 24, 2010
I love the song “Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. I used to have it as a ringtone on my cell phone. I took it off my phone in 2008 when my son, Lucas, passed away. I heard it every time someone called during those two weeks to check on Lucas’s progress, or to see how we were faring as we were living in the waiting rooms at the hospital. Lucas didn’t get to come home with us when we left there. He had already left to be with his Father in Heaven. After that day, I had to take that […]
OTH Writer Publishes Book, ‘Creating a New Normal’
June 18, 2010
Creating a New Normal…After the Death of a Child is the title of Sandy Fox’s new book to help the newly bereaved as well as the seasoned griever find their way through the darkness and into the light again to a life full of happiness and new meaning. “Learning to rebuild your life by creating a new normal is what most bereaved parents strive for,” Fox said. “This book is full of ideas from those who have been there, and using any of them will give you the practical and emotional support needed to help you learn to live in […]
Fear Stops Others From Empathizing
June 16, 2010
After any significant loss, we feel empty, lost, and engulfed with indescribable pain. One grueling process in grief work is connecting our feelings and state of being with words. However, once we get passed this hurdle, something else surfaces. We learn quickly that people cannot fully understand. As a father who lost his first child, I know that feeling very well. Trying to educate a world what it’s like to lose a 5 ½-week-old daughter can prove exhausting. In this short article, I hope to universalize this common but unpleasant experience so that when a parent, sibling, friend, or faith […]
