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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Harriet Hodgeson: Forgotten Markers in the Grief Journey
November 1, 2009
Harriet talks about loss of an adult child, anniversaries and raising her grandchildren. She lost four loved ones in 9 months. To Learn More About Harriet https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/files/2011/03/Harriet-Hodgson-112609.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Jennifer Martin: Loving Connections
October 29, 2009
Jennifer wrote the book Star Child, a book to help other grieving parents. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/Jennifer-Martin-102909.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Remembering Your Baby on All Souls Day
October 29, 2009
By Monica Novak – In the Christian traditions, churches all over the world set aside a day of celebrating and remembering our loved ones who have died. Depending on the particular denomination, this day is often referred to as All Souls Day or All Saints Day and is usually held on November 1st or 2nd, or on the 1st Sunday of November. It’s a quiet holiday in comparison to the more prominent events of Christmas and Easter. In some countries, families decorate gravesites with candles and flowers, some even leave food. Here in the United States, many people might not […]
Checking Your Support System
October 28, 2009
Grief creates an immediate need for support. My husband and I relied on a family support system – our elder daughter, brother and sister-in-law, and father-in-law – for many years. All of these family members lived in town and were only minutes away. Then our lives changed. In February of 2007, our daughter died from the injuries she received in a car crash. Two days later, my father-in-law died. Last summer, the remaining relatives moved to Wisconsin. Others are going to move there as well. Support was disappearing right before our eyes, and we felt very alone. Apparently other people […]
Poem: For George
October 27, 2009
I received this astonishing poem in the mail, along with a letter from the author, Robin Standish, in 2005. Unfortunately, it got lost in the pile of papers on my desk. A couple of weeks ago, I was cleaning up (finally), and came across it. I can’t tell you how moved I was, how blown away by what Standish captured, about early sibling loss. Standish was 7 when her 2-year-old brother, George, died of leukemia. She didn’t even know he was sick. Or rather, her parents had neglected to define what was wrong with him. She assumed, as she writes […]
Eric Hipple: Men and Depression
October 26, 2009
Eric Hipple talks about teen suicide as well as men and depression. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2009/10/Eric_Hipple_031507.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Drs Gloria and Heidi Horsley: Our Story of Scott Horsley
October 26, 2009
Drs Gloria & Heidi tell the story of the loss of their son & brother Scott. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/Dr-Gloria-Dr-Heidi-Horsley-020107.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
How the Phases of Grief Worked for Bereaved Mom
October 24, 2009
In the first few years of your grief journey after the loss of a child, you will experience so many different emotions, all of which are normal and not “weird” as some people may say to you. There are five phases of grief (some experts use different names for each phase, but in the end they are all the same). As I write about each, I’ll tell you how I personally fit into each one. Keep in mind that once you leave one phase and move on to another, it does not mean you will not return to that phase […]
First Halloween
October 22, 2009
By Beth Seyda – I usually love Halloween, seeing all the little kids in their cute costumes struggling to hold up their trick or treat bags and trying to say “trick or treat”. But that first Halloween was only a couple of weeks after our infant son, Dylan, had died and I knew I could not be at home to give out treats this year. I felt bad about it, but I knew that I would be in no shape to see so many kids. So my husband, Mark, and I decided to see an early movie and have dinner. […]
