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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For Some, There is Blessing Even in Tragedy
April 24, 2010
How does someone pick up the pieces after losing a spouse and child in a tragic car accident that involved their whole family? Sheri Boekweg-Nelson of Plain City, Utah, and her two kids survived this horrific nightmare November, 2000. Sheri described the pain, “I broke so many bones — the worst, my shattered left foot; I still feel pain today. Mentally, it is indescribable, watching my children suffer has been the worst part; they were only seven and nine. It was hard to tell them we would have to go on without their dad, BJ, and sister, Brandi. I almost lost […]
Nature Helps Calm Mother Who Misses Son
April 23, 2010
It was the 4th anniversary of our son’s death, and I was having a difficult time. My husband was working out of town, and this meant for the first time we would be apart on this date. I turned to the woods, a place I find myself often when I seek peace. As I started the trail, I noticed a tree that was bent and twisted. Despite the fact that the base of the trunk was nothing but a shell, the tree continued to live and strive to reach the sun. I felt a kinship with that tree. At times, […]
Father Starts Web Project for Dads Who Have Lost a Child
April 21, 2010
After going through the loss of two of my children over an eighteen-month span, I came to the realization that there is a lack of support services and information available to fathers suffering the loss of a child. I made a promise to myself that once I was strong enough, I would find a way to help other men going through the devastating loss of a child. As a result of that promise, I have developed a project that is designed to reach out to all bereaved dads traveling this lonely and, what appears to be, never-ending road known as […]
Coping With Sudden and Traumatic Loss
April 19, 2010
A sudden and traumatic death shatters your world. The changes may be readily apparent or may take months, or even years, to emerge. In 2007, my elder daughter (mother of my twin grandchildren) and father-in-law died on the same weekend. I was in such shock I could hardly think. Yet there were burial arrangements to make and memorial services to plan. I knew I had to do my grief work and did not shirk it. This work paid off and I was starting to feel better when my brother died eight weeks later. Several months later the twin’s father studied […]
Death of Grandchild is a Double Loss
April 16, 2010
April 11 was my second-born grandson, Conner’s, birthday. He would have been 16 this year. Oh, the fun age. The 16th birthday, to me, is when you no longer feel like you are a child but not quite an adult. You aren’t quite sure where to go with those feelings you have inside you. Also, the child seems to change physically. But I will never get to see those changes in my grandson. As a matter of fact, I never got to share any birthdays with him as he was stillborn. To this day, we do not know what happened […]
Keeping Connection With a Deceased Son
April 13, 2010
When faced with the death of my son, I grieved inwardly and mourned openly to others that my life was forever changed. Wanting to create a legacy of the beautiful child I would never hug again, I began searching for the proper tribute. The magnitude of options was overwhelming and included plaques at the local zoo and starting a scholarship at a local school in his name. Jeremy and his brothers used to go to a coffeehouse in a nearby town and talk, sing and of course, drink coffee. My guilt that he was not with me, that I did […]
Daughter Sara is Still With Us
April 13, 2010
My beautiful daughter Sara passed away almost 8 years ago. She was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). She was just 19 and turned 20 years old in the hospital. I spent every day and night with her there, only to be relieved when my son or husband would come to visit. This went on for over five months. She had extensive chemotherapy. Sara went into remission. We were so happy that day. It was Valentine’s Day. It was a special day for the rest of our lives. After Sara gained some strength, she forced herself to go back to college and […]
Men and Grief: Surrounded by Love, Blinded by Pride
April 10, 2010
“I couldn’t care less.” That’s how I felt in the months and years after I lost my 17-year old son, Michael. I felt like the life was taken out of me. I was stripped down on the outside, torn apart on the inside, and utterly vulnerable to the world. In short, my very essence, my power to be the strong, tough and secure man was gone in an instant. I had no identity. I had no point of reference to reach out to because from that very young age, men are taught to be the ever strong and solid provider. […]
Raising my Twin Grandchildren: Endings and Beginnings
April 7, 2010
After our elder daughter was killed in a car crash and our former son-in-law died in another car crash, my husband and I became GRGs – grandparents raising grandchildren. Wow, did our lives change! We are back to booming rock music, school concerts, ringing phones, text messages and emails, sleepovers, and school trips. Since I had been cooking for two so long, it took me several months to adjust to cooking for teens again. I go to the grocery store every other day and am cooking constantly. Teen slang has changed drastically and I had to learn new words to […]
