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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For Family of Murder Victim, Wheels of Justice Turn Slowly
March 8, 2011
My sister was murdered on September 17, 2009. Six months and 5 days later, on March 23, 2010, an arrest was made. It will soon be 18 months since her death. It will soon be 12 months since the arrest was made. I’ve been told that the court process will be slow. It will take time. I’ve learned what I have been told is true. I’ve also learned that waiting is a true test of my patience. The initial trial was set for June 7th, then continued until June 21st. The trial was continued once again, this time until September […]
Beryl Kaminsky: Loss of a Sibling
March 7, 2011
Beryl Kaminsky talks about the loss of her sibling and how she coped.
Choose to Let Go of Grief and Pain
March 6, 2011
Wild-eyed, I stared at the reflection in the mirror. I no longer recognised myself. My eyes were haunted by the pain and suffering not only of my brother’s death but of all the other losses I’d experienced throughout my life. My once long red hair was gone, hacked off in a fit of fury as I tried to rid myself of the wild emotions coursing throughout my very being. All that remained was a bald scalp. My vision blurred, a result of the all the tablets and alcohol I’d thrown down my throat in an attempt to appease the pain. […]
When Living in Grief, ‘Keep Walking’
February 20, 2011
Within two weeks after my sister’s death, I knew, as did my husband, that I was not in a good place. I felt like I was walking around the edge of a big black hole. One missed step and I would fall into that hole. My husband gently suggested I go see my doctor. I heeded his advice and saw my doctor the very next day. She put me on an anti-depressant and set up my first appointment with a therapist. On my first visit, the therapist and I talked about my sister’s death, the tragic way in which she […]
The Unique Nature of Sibling Loss
February 18, 2011
I can still remember the call that told me my younger brother was dead. It was from my grandmother. Funnily enough, I’d been contemplating that my grandparents were getting old and that I needed to prepare myself for their deaths. I never expected that I would receive a call from them to tell me that my brother had crashed his car into a lamp post on the way home from a concert and was killed immediately. He was 17; I was 22. The death of a sibling is strange. Everyone asks how your parents are, but everyone seems to forget […]
Apl.de.ap of The Black Eyed Peas; Death by Suicide
February 6, 2011
Apl.de.ap of The Black Eyed Peas premiers his song i cry and shares why he wrote it and his feelings around the death by suicide of his brother. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2011/02/apl.de_.ap_.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Picture Me a Memory: Old Photos are Stirring
January 22, 2011
On a recent trip to Italy, I developed an interest in photography. There were simply too many picture-perfect moments that I had to honor with the click of my camera. And so, for Christmas, my parents bought me a gift for the purpose of cultivating this new and creative interest of mine – a new camera! Since then, I have gone click-crazy in an attempt to capture significant, meaningful moments – including those which feed not only my soul, but fill my stomach as well! I now have well over two hundred pictures from Christmas and New Year’s alone, not […]
Tucson Murders Rekindle Memories of Sister’s Death
January 10, 2011
I’ve been listening and reading about the senseless shootings in Arizona. Such a tragedy. I think about all the families and friends affected by this terrible act. I think about the journey they are just beginning. Unfortunately I can relate to what they are going through. When my sister was brutally murdered in her home, the shock alone was overwhelming. That was followed by complete sadness and anger. The one question the survivors of Tuscon will ask and will never get a justifiable answer is, “Why?” In time, they will get the answers to all the other questions, but the […]
Before and After
January 10, 2011
Have you ever noticed how when we lose a loved one, over time we measure events and time by before and after. My son graduated from college before Dad died. My daughter graduated from college after Dad died. I often think how my life has changed, what is different now, after Dad died. Before Dad died, I talked to my Mom a lot, after Dad died I talked to my Mom even more. She needed me more. She always needed me, even before Dad died. It took his death to make me realize that. Before and After, our measure […]
