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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Dear Dad: A Letter to the Long Deceased
August 24, 2018
Introduction Dear Dad is the story of my life told in the form of letters to my father, Walter Michael Jaworski, who died of a heart attack when I was five and whom, therefore, I never got to know. It is not a maudlin story of regret, but the tale of how one’s entire life — conscious and unconscious — can be shaped by the defining moment of a parent’s death, and how my own fatherhood lifted me from a lifetime of pain. The idea of a letter to my father was suggested by a kindly psychotherapist who, during my mental breakdown […]
Episode 137: How Does A Father’s Death Impact Life?
July 30, 2018
On this show Dr. Heidi Horsley explores with Dr. Gary Jaworski, whose father died when he was 5 years old and Barbara Rubel MS, whose father died by suicide when she was pregnant with triplets, how the loss of their dads has lead them to a life of service. Barbara is the author of But I Didn’t Say Goodby and Gary is the President of the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation.
Dr. Gary D Jaworski: Parent Loss: Effects Over The Life Span
June 28, 2018
Gary D. Jaworski, Ph.D. is President of Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation. As a child he lost his dad to a sudden heart attack. Before becoming a nonprofit executive, Gary was an academic sociologist, college professor and author. He received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and recognition in Who’s Who in the East and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Dr.-Gary-D-Jaworski-Parent-Loss-Effects-Over-The-Life-Span.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 134: Parent Death A Discounted Loss
June 27, 2018
On this show Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley interview Open to Hope writers Lauren Muscarella author of Alice’s Law: Finding Deeper Meaning and Honoring Lost Loved Ones, and founder of Trauma to Art: Turning Grief Into Creativity, and Lisa Irish, Chaplain, spiritual director and author of Grieving – the Sacred Art: Hope in the Land of Loss both have found hope after the death of a parent.
On Your First Father’s Day Without Dad
June 7, 2018
This year might be your first Father’s Day since losing your dad. Father’s Day can be tough when a piece of your heart’s puzzle is missing. Here are three tips I hope might help. Say What You Need to Say As the weather starts to sizzle, you may be tempted to turn the AC to full blast and settle in for a little summer hibernation. While time alone is important, it’s easy to slip from healthy alone time to full-on isolation. After losing my mom, and then my dad a few short years later, my comfy safe place definitely became home, […]
Brooks Douglas: Choices: Forgiveness and Strength
June 7, 2018
Brooks Douglass is a film producer and actor, lawyer, businessman and former state senator in Oklahoma. In 1990, Douglass was elected as the youngest State Senator to serve in Oklahoma at age 27. His signature legislation was a 1992 bill championing the rights of crime victims. In 1979 Brooks and his sister Leslie saw their parents murdered by intruders. Brooks found forgiveness for the perpetrator and the healing force of producing and acting in his movie The Amendment. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/themes/oth/audio/Brooks-Douglass-Forgiveness-and-Strength-Stereo.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Feelin’ Groovy: Connecting with Mom’s Legacy on Mother’s Day
May 11, 2018
Ever had a song, a fragrance or box of cereal stir you to tears? It’s been 19 years since my mom’s sudden graduation to heaven. So, how could Mother’s Day week and a song be the catalyst for tears in my grilled chicken tenderloin salad? Sounds like a country music song. This week a classic Simon and Garfunkel tune came to mind, and took me right back to my mom’s living room, playing her rustic upright piano. It was “59th Street Bridge Song” better know as “Feelin’ Groovy.” If you were born after 1970, Google it. This whimsical melody will […]
Kathy Miller: Chippy Chipmunk Deals With Loss
November 23, 2017
Kathy M. Miller is an award-winning author and photographer of the Chippy Chipmunk picture book series. Her latest book “Chippy Chipmunk: Friends in the Garden” helps children who are grieving. After Kathy lost her mother, she found comfort and healing in nature photography. Her book uses nature and a delicately woven storyline to open a dialogue on loss. http://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/opentohope.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/23110908/Kathy-Miller.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Death and Dying: Interview with Brian Barry MA
September 10, 2017
At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Brian Barry, who teaches death and dying at RIT in Rochester. Brian began to explore the field of death and dying after the passing of his mother, and he has been doing it for the past 35 years. When Barry’s mother passed away, he started to discover things about death and dying that he hadn’t noticed before. He goes into more detail about this in the video below. Here are some key highlights from the video: In a family, people have different roles which are difficult to […]
