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.
SORT BY RELATIONSHIP
Celebrating the Birth of Triplets While Mourning Dad’s Suicide
November 12, 2011
I wish you could have been there . . . It was quite a sight. Three infant car seats with tiny faces and six wiggling hands and feet. We were going home, but my father would not be there to greet us. I had spent the last four weeks of my pregnancy in the hospital, and, during that time, my loving dad had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was gone, and I had three children to love. Although I had complete bed rest throughout my pregnancy, I irrationally felt guilty after his death because I […]
Do you have a quote you’d like to share?
November 11, 2011
“Sorrow makes us all children again – destroys all differences of intellect. The wisest know nothing.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson This quote by Emerson confirms how big an impact grief has on all of us. Please share a quote that has helped you navigate the journey of grief.
As the holidays approach, take care of your grief.
November 3, 2011
Holidays sometimes intensify grief and the first year can be especially tough. It’s always a good idea to plan how you want to spend this time. Keep in mind that things will feel different. Traditional family rituals may get lost or seem strange. Consider how to acknowledge your loss in a way that feels comforting, but also think about creating new rituals. Make room in your life for new people, places and things. Be realistic about how much you can do and save some time for being quiet. When you make plans this year, focus on your needs.
Losing my mom Horribly at the age of 19
October 22, 2011
Hello, Im a young woman. I’m 25 years old and married with 3 little girls. I lost my mom at 19 years old she was only 38 years old. I had siblings and at the time I was 19 my sisters were the age 15 and 5 and my little brother was 2 years old. My mother was gone all day while I watched my little brother and sister. My 15 year old sister was with her at the time. My mom went grocery shopping on this new years eve day and was on her way home and forgot a […]
After a death
October 18, 2011
What can we do? All we can do is keep going. People have kept going for generations. Take the kindness offered by those who remain and let it seep in as far as you can. In time this darkness changes into something almost bearable. We are like dazed children, but we keep going. One day after another.
Death of a Parent
October 16, 2011
Anderson Cooper recently said, “When a child loses a parent, she or he knows that anything is possible.” This seems so true. The death of my father altered the way I saw the world. I know this was true for my sisters, too. There seems to be a solid line in each of our lives; before Dad died and after.
A Sign From Mom at the Holidays
October 6, 2011
In 1987, when I was eighteen years old, my mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia two weeks prior to Christmas. We brought Christmas to her in her hospital room that year in the midst of her chemotherapy, complete with a homemade turkey dinner. What I couldn’t have imagined then was that in eight short months my mother Nancy would pass, to be followed only three weeks later by my brother Adam in a car accident. In the months to follow, I thought a lot about a specific conversation I had with my mother mere days before her […]
Lauren Muscarella; Remembering My Mother
September 29, 2011
Lauren Muscarella lost her mother to breast cancer in 2006. After her mother’s death Lauren struggled to overcome depression and learn to positively transform her grief. In May of 2010 Lauren started MamaQuest a blog meant to honor and remember her mother and other lost loved ones. This blog, turned movement, promotes creativity, artistic expression and community support. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/files/2011/09/Lauren-Muscarella_final.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
New Calling: Reaching Out to Others Through Writing
September 27, 2011
When I was young, my life’s calling was softly introduced to me. It may not have been a path I would have chosen as an adult or of my own desire, but it changed me and made me who I am today. I guess my mother’s illness and death deeply impacted my life. I never forgot the realm of devastation or the pain it caused me as my days unfolded without her. I had a strong inner impulse toward my purpose. My heart ached for those who faced similar circumstances. I would reach out to people I knew or didn’t […]
