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
Can I Believe My Mother is in Heaven?
September 26, 2011
I love going to psychics. I’m not sure if it’s my impetuous nature to know what is to come, the comforting assertions like “Great fortune is headed your way” or its mother-memory connection. I became loosely associated with the magic of clairvoyance at age 5. I waited in the reception area while my mother traveled through past lives and peered into her future. These days I’m allowed to partake in the mysticism myself. Turning the corner on six years of motherlessness, I strolled through the beaded door of a Hyannis psychic on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Once inside the inconspicuous […]
When Mom Dies: A Big Sister Writes to Her Little Sister
September 25, 2011
(This piece is an excerpt from a longer work entitled Mind Pictures) The days in the hospital right before our mom died are mostly a blur. I remember that you and Dad and I sat by her bed as long as we were allowed. I remember the heart monitor and the unsettling, uncertain blips on that glowing metal screen that were the external reminders of mama’s struggling heart. I remember the day that her heart stopped. But I recall with the most clarity an hour when she and I were alone in her hospital room. Mom had been very weak […]
With Her Father in the Final Days
September 21, 2011
“All the leaves are brown; and the sky is grey …” The Mamas and Papas The verbs and functions began to fall away like the September leaves. Some faster than others, the “helicopters” spiraled to their demise and others quietly and unhurriedly floated to the ground. One thing was undeniable – they were never to return. Consistently, I would strive to put myself in my dad’s place and ask myself, “what would it be like to be too exhausted or weak to sit up?” It was very tough, if next to impossible to imagine. The next certainty I realized was […]
Reaching Out to Those in Need
September 16, 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. This strong inner impulse toward my purpose was the pure compassion. My heart ached for those who faced similar circumstances. I would reach out to people I knew […]
death of a farther
September 14, 2011
im a fifteen year old girl and i lost my farther. i lost my farther 5 months ago. i dont think i can ever get over the fact that he is gone. since being an only child and being a daddys girl the heartbreak was even more sad. none of my freinds know what i go through everyday because they have their dads at home. i have no one to watch game shows with, discuss my reading with. thats why ive made the decision not to make my confomation i think if my dad cant walk me down the isle […]
How Adult Children Can Cope While Caretaking Parents
September 14, 2011
We of the baby-boomer generation are feeling the pressure as we provide care for our elderly parents. It is painful as we helplessly watch our loved ones experience the impact of failing health. We feel powerless against the ravages of deteriorating health and mourn our losses as our parents begin the descent involving their incapacity to live independently. Children undergo the process of grieving as one’s parents move closer to the end of their lives. Family dynamics may shift. The process of grieving hopefully brings healing and closure to children who care-take for elderly parents. However, more typically, it takes […]
A Children and Grief Story
September 12, 2011
My gramma’s grief over the loss of her only child devoured me! To see and hear her wailing and knowing she couldn’t stop was heartbreaking and frightening. Her sadness, and my inability to do anything about it grieved me, possibly as much as the grief I felt for the loss of my mother. I was eleven years old and my mother and grandmother had always been my emotional haven. I felt totally alone! I recalled the words of my uncle on the night my mother died. His reminder that I must ‘be strong for my grandmother because now I was all […]
Losing My Dad and Learning How to Fall (Apart)
September 4, 2011
Two months ago I came home from vacation on a beautiful, sunny Saturday. With everyone else occupied by work or barbecues, I decided it was a good idea to take my dad out for dinner and bring him the souvenirs I had gotten him. After not being able to get him on the phone for a few hours (not a rare occurrence with him), I went over to my parents’ house to surprise him – and check on him. Especially since my parents had separated the previous October. I was glad to see his beige Explorer in the driveway – […]
We Never Said Goodbye
August 26, 2011
Towards the end of her life, my mom had a number of health issues. These included high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure and eventually, dialysis. In the fall of 1999, her right leg began to turn black and blue. It was diagnosed that her heart was not strong enough to pump the blood to the lower extremity and thus caused the leg to discolor. To correct this, mom had surgery on her artery to increase the blood flow. She came through the operation fine. She was alert that afternoon and was able to converse. The next day, the hospital staff […]
