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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My Losses
August 25, 2011
Hello, I’m 24 years old and I lost my dad when I was 18 to lung cancer from inhaling asbestos dust at work. From diagnosis to death it was 6weeks. My dad was 40 years old. He was a big guy. He was funny and charming and smart. He was fun. We had a special relationship. We went on little "dates". When my mom was busy at working late or going to hang out with her friends my dad and I would go to dinner or the movies or to play putt putt just fun stuff just the two of […]
Sound and Silence Offer Solace
August 25, 2011
“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross I felt compelled to stroke his hair like he was my little boy. A young boy who was in honest pain with not one place left to turn. The crying spells were inconsolable. No words would do. Nothing could possibly be fair, kind or compassionately adequate. At this point, there was not much left for my father: body, fixes, time. All that remained were random attempts at comfort, and most importantly, Love. Once, musicians came […]
The Loss of Elderly Parents
August 15, 2011
Deborah and Heidi talk about adult children & the loss of elderly parents
Facing Your Wedding Day Without A Parent
August 3, 2011
I will be getting married in a month. This is undoubtedly an occasion I am excited about and one that seems to have taken forever to arrive, not least because I am turning 38 this December and my fiancé will hit the 50 mark in October, and neither of us have been married before. Since getting engaged, we have both been acutely aware of the fact that we will both be missing a parent on this special day. My mother died sixteen years ago from cancer and his father passed away five years ago, also from cancer. So far, I’ve […]
Jenny Wheeler, Reassuring Grieving Teens
July 22, 2011
Jenny Wheeler, author of Weird is Normal When Teenagers Grieve, talks about the loss of her father and ways teens can cope at the Association of Death Education and Counseling annual conference, 2011.
Is My Widowed Mother ‘Moving On’ Too Soon?
June 29, 2011
Question from a Reader: My dad died 11 months ago at the age of 55. My mom is 50 and looks a bit younger. I know she’s a young woman and has lots of life left in her but she’s got a boyfriend! I cannot understand how she can do this. I told her to do whatever she wanted as I didn’t want to see her lonely but to have some respect for us as we were still mourning our dad. When I talk to her on the phone all she knows how to say is US, WE, ME, and […]
Grieving for Deceased Loved One and Broken Relationship
June 27, 2011
Grief comes in many forms, including the feelings associated with death, anticipatory grief, and self–grief. During the grieving process, we may also mourn for broken family relationships. My brother was five years older than I. According to my mother, he was so excited to have a baby sister he asked to stay home from kindergarten when I came home from the hospital. Due to the age difference between us, we didn’t play together that much. Though we shared the same sense of humor, our personalities were very different. I was the quieter, creative person, whereas he was the boisterous, loud […]
Grieving Mother-Loss Different for Everyone
June 26, 2011
“You’re not angry you didn’t spend that time with your mother?” a friend asked me over dinner last night. About six months before my mom died, it was obvious the end was near. In a practical sense, I prepared for my mother’s death. I canceled my study abroad semester in Italy. I acted more responsible in my day-to-day life. In other ways, I didn’t. My mother and I spoke rarely in those last six months. And I only planned a few trips back home. The last thing she ever said to me was, “This isn’t the last time we’ll see […]
Brian Schuff; Understanding Grief
June 23, 2011
Brian Schuff is a professional writer whose mother died when he was eight years old, giving him a life-long interest in the subject of grief. He is the co-author along with Ron Marasc of About Grief: Insights, Setbacks, Grace Notes, and Taboos. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/files/2011/05/Brian-Schuff_01.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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