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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Brother-Sister Bond Showed Itself on Valentine’s Day
February 5, 2009
By Anne Dionne — A couple of years after my son Michael died, I was sorting through some things which I had saved from our children’s school years. I came across a Valentine card which depicts a little girl surrounded by heart symbols. “Stuck on you Valentine!,” the card reads. On the back of the card is seven-year-old Michael’s hand-written signature. The card was to his big sister Kelly. The emotional bond between Kelly and Michael was formed very early. Almost three years older, Kelly was excited about the prospect of welcoming her new brother into the world. When I […]
Gary Malkin: Healing Through Music
February 5, 2009
Gary Malkin shares his music and spoken word. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/Gary-Malkin-Help-Healing-Through-Music.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Discovering the ‘Christmas Valentine’
February 4, 2009
By Yvonne E. Lancaster On December 22, 1986, our son Brian was killed by a drunk driver. We buried him two days later on Christmas Eve. Brian was 19 years old and a sophomore in college. All of his dreams and aspirations to become a marine biologist and hopefully a husband and father someday, were dashed in a split second. Brian’s tragic accident was followed by intense grieving and mourning during the holiday season. Our world stood still, our lives flash-frozen in time. Life would forever have two phases — life before Brian and life after Brian. Brian was full […]
Poem: For Barbara, On Valentine’s Day, After the Death of Our Son
February 3, 2009
By Mitch Carmody — Our son Kelly James was diagnosed with a brain tumor in February of 1986, and our world changed forever. We did everything we could do medically, holistically and spiritually to save our son. Although we experienced a healing, we learned a healing is not always a cure. He died 12-1-1987, two months later I wrote this poem to my wife on Valentine’s day. February 14th, 1988 For Barbara My darling I am not sure what to say nor even what to do to make this very special day unique and true to you. We have gone […]
Gloria C. Horsley: Parents Helping Teens Cope
February 1, 2009
Dr. Gloria C. Horsley, National Board Member of The Compassionate Friends, speaks about parents helping teens cope.
Poem: Catching Valentines
January 30, 2009
Some of the nicest and most interesting people I know were born in February. So when she came on Groundhog Day I thought, Wow! How great is that! After her death, the huge shadow of sorrow that came with Punxsutawney Phil darkened our determined celebrations of her beautiful, but too short, life. But always, when we peered out and through our broken hearts we found signs that she was with us, birthday kisses on her special day. Now, as her birthday month approaches I know February may bring sorrow’s shadow, but mostly I wait, wide eyed and watchful to catch […]
Taking Care of Your Relationship After the Death of a Child
January 29, 2009
By Lisa Buell — Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers, a time to celebrate our passion for one another. But what happens after our child has died? Our innocence is lost and it takes every ounce of strength to be civil or even interested in what our partners are saying. What happens when our psychological energy is consumed with the memories of our child and it is taking everything we have just to get through the day? What happens when we can barely look at our spouse because it reminds us of the dream that was our life, a […]
Organ Donation and St. Valentine’s Hometown
January 28, 2009
By Reg Green — My memory of Valentine’s Day is spending it among the art treasures and history of St. Valentine’s birthplace, Terni, in central Italy. It was just a few months after our seven-year-old son, Nicholas, had been shot in a botched car-jacking attempt while we were driving to Sicily on vacation. We had donated his organs and corneas to seven Italians, four of them teenagers. The organizers of our visit wanted to honor the power of love and chose to see it in our story. The ceremony was held in a packed hall and, whenever Nicholas was mentioned, […]
Husbands Respond Differently to Pregnancy Loss
January 26, 2009
By Diana Gardner-Williams – We never truly know how our partner will react when a baby or pregnancy has come to an end. Most likely our husbands will grieve and display sorrow in a different manner. After the stillbirth of our son Tanner, my husband felt the need to fix things by using his hands. He built beautiful stone benches, a pergola and hung a swing in Tanner’s memory gardens. Since men and women grieve differently, it is important to allow husbands to express their pain in a way that is comfortable for them. Not only was my husband grieving […]
