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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Trees Symbolize Son’s Journey
June 3, 2010
“It was time to dig up the thin maple that died last fall and, like Daniel, did not bloom in the spring.” It was time. In an hour the November afternoon would be dark. With Baby Elizabeth in the stroller, we headed to our front lawn. Benjamin immediately began to run around, but my husband, David, seven-year-old Rachel and I stood beside the thin tree. Rachel held the order of ceremony that she had spent the afternoon writing. It was three pages of her own creation, the “service” for our family’s gathering that afternoon. Five members were visible to the […]
We Can Survive the Grief of Child-Loss
June 1, 2010
I vividly remember April 19, 1995. My daughter Nina had heard on the news that something horrible had just occurred in Oklahoma City. She told me that a federal office building had been bombed, killing many people, many of them very young children. As the scene replayed itself on every station, Nina and I knelt in front of the television. We held hands and were motionless and hushed except for the sound of our occasional choking sobs. As we watched the horrific scene and the victim’s loved ones in their shock and grief, I distinctly remember my reaction. After saying a […]
How Grief Affects Your Body
May 27, 2010
Changes in our lives can cause us to be stressed. Sometimes the changes are good ones, such as a job promotion or the birth of a child. Sometimes the opposite is true. You may be laid off because the company you work for is downsizing. Instead of the joyful experience of your child’s birth, you have experienced the death of your child. When the death of my son occurred, every facet of my life was changed from the tip of my head down to my toes. Cognitively or the way my brain thought about things was altered to the point […]
Whispered Words
May 25, 2010
It has been nearly 25 years since my son Brian was killed by a drunk driver. He was 19 years old. We miss him terribly. Life has never been the same without him. When I use the word “same,” it conjures memories of my children playing in the back yard, watching Sesame Street, doing homework, off to school and church and celebrating their accomplishments, both big and small. It was a time where innocence and everyday challenges intermingled with hope. We had our dreams and plans for a bright and happy future. Brian’s tragedy was a significant life-changing event for […]
Mother’s Day, Before and After
May 23, 2010
While sorting through boxes and bags, it is not unusual for me to find something unexpected. It happened just the other day. Shifting through a box, I came across a wrinkled, somewhat yellowed piece of lined school paper. I carefully unfolded it only to find a drawing of a stick-mom and stick-daughter standing along side a mammoth daisy. The mom and little girl were holding hands with huge lopsided grins on their faces. In her little girl just-learning-to-print handwriting were the words, “Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy. I love you, Kristina.” Even six years after Kristina’s death, little gifts such as […]
Mourners Surrounded by Sacred Moments
May 22, 2010
Ever since my daughter died from the injuries she received in a car crash in 2007, I’ve become more aware of the sacred moments in my life. Before she died I thought I was aware of these moments, but this turned out to be untrue. I was sort of aware of them. Other family members also died that year, my father-in-law, brother, and former son-in-law. His death made my twin grandchildren orphans, and my husband and I became their court appointed guardians. I’ve had many sacred moments after my grandchildren moved in with us when they were 15 years old. […]
Bereaved Father Discovers He’s Not Alone
May 14, 2010
A few weeks after my son, Lance, was killed, my wife Kathy, received some information about the Compassionate Friends; she wanted to go to a meeting. She told me it was a support group for bereaved parents. My reaction was I didn’t need a support group. All my life, I was the one person that people turned to in crisis. I was the cool head under fire. I was the fixer. I surely didn’t need a support group, but Kathy was in no shape to drive herself so I went with her. I went into this sharing group and when […]
Alice Wisler: Building Self-Esteem After Loss
May 13, 2010
After Alice Wisler’s son died, she found hope through her writing. Alice’s bio https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/OTH-Alice-Wisler-04-19-10.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Fourth Mother’s Day Without Nicholas was the Hardest
May 13, 2010
On my journey through grief, after losing my 16-year-old son in an auto accident, I have come to fully understand one fact: the waves of hopelessness and despair are never too far away. The waves can come out of nowhere and render you powerless. Even though this past Mother’s Day was my fourth without my son, it was the worst for me. Perhaps the shrinking veil of denial leaves me face to face with a deeper understanding of the crater left in my life. I want to run away from my life and start a new one. If only it […]
