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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Gratitude Journal Brings Grieving Mother Relief
November 13, 2008
By Debra Reagan — There came a point in my grief over the death of my son Clint when I became so tired of being tired. I began to search for something that would offer a bit of relief. I purchased a small notebook and began keeping a daily gratitude journal. Every day, I tried to find something to write in my journal. Most days, at first, I was just grateful that I had made it through another day. As time went on, I began to find small things of which I was truly grateful. I began to see that […]
What can Kids Hold Onto After a Parent has Died?
November 10, 2008
By Harriet Hodgson It has been just over a month since my daughter was killed in a car crash. Every day has been a day of tears, some voiced, some silent. My 15-year-old twin grandchildren are so overcome with grief they are almost paralyzed. Both of them are looking for reminders of their mom, things they can hold onto, and my husband and I have given them things. The twins want to hear stories about their mother. But it is the values their mother instilled in them — values passed from one generation to the next […]
Planning Helps With the ‘Firsts’
November 8, 2008
By Sue Gilbert and Suzanne Redfern – The following is an excerpt from The Grieving Garden, authored by Suzanne Redfern and Susan Gilbert (Hampton Roads Publishing, 2008). In this excerpt, Susan Benveniste, one of the book’s 22 contributors, speaks of her family’s first celebrations, including Thanksgiving, without their daughter, Shelly. Enduring the “firsts” can be one of the hardest obstacles to face. Examples of the firsts are: holidays, birthdays, Mother’s or Father’s Day, and the death-day anniversary. These days can hit with a vengeance, like a blow to the gut. Planning in advance how to celebrate or spend these days […]
Frank Lewis: Remembering Our Siblings
November 6, 2008
Since the death of his brother, Frank Lewis has led a sibling chapter of The Compassionate Friends. Through his work as a pastor he has been able to help others navigate their grief. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/Frank-Lewis-110608.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Beth Seyda: Infant Loss and Miscarriage
October 30, 2008
Beth is the Executive Director of Compassionate Passages, researcher and author. She co-produced the award winning educational film, When a Child is Dying. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/Beth-Sedya-103008.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Parent of Organ Donor Treated Like Royalty
October 30, 2008
By Reg Green — Recently, in the restaurant of a Northern Italian hotel, someone in our group told the waiter I was the father of a seven-year-old California boy who was shot in a bungled robbery while we were on vacation in Italy in 1994. From a nearby table, a voice said “Ah, Nicholas.” Tables around the room took up the theme until it became a topic of general conversation. It speaks volumes that a boy, and a foreigner at that, who was killed fourteen years ago can still bring a roomful of strangers together. It’s true the circumstances were […]
Starting your own support group
October 24, 2008
by Sandy Fox I would encourage anyone, who needs the help of a support group to deal with the death of a child, to start their own if there is none in the area in which you live. The group does not need to be part of a national group of bereaved parents. It can serve any purpose you need in your own area of the country. In order to get started, the local newspaper should be contacted to see if they will do a story in the paper about your first and subsequent meetings. Flyers can be placed in […]
The Burden Basket: Why Some Prayers Go Unanswered
October 22, 2008
By Judy Wolf — In the children’s hospital in Salt Lake City, there is a small meditation room where one can have a quiet “heart-to-heart” talk with God. Families are encouraged to release worries about their children’s health by writing a note to God and placing it in a Native American “burden basket.” Periodically, the notes are burned by the chaplain, a symbolic letting go of one’s burdens, turning them over to God. In 2001, I became a devout member of the Burden Basket society when my oldest son, Joe, then 13, was hit by a car while crossing the […]
Mourning a Brother Lost to Violence
October 10, 2008
Sameena from Charlotte writes: I am looking for ideas to help my mom. My older brother was murdered and buried in foreign country as a John Doe. We will eventually have him exhumed and have services – it’s just a lot of red tape. I am looking for a way to help my mom grieve by honoring him in some way. I like the quilt idea but I don’t know if my mom has any of his clothes. Do you suggest anything else? Stephanie Frogge, national crime victim services consultant, responds: How loving you are to want to help your […]
