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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Barbara Thompson: Death of a Father
September 9, 2010
Barbara Thompson’s father died at age 12, she went on to find hope and meaning after his loss. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/OTH_Barbara-Thompson-06_21_10.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
A Memory Game for Grieving Children
September 4, 2010
This version of the typical children’s memory game (known in some circles as Concentration) is for grieving families to share memories of a departed one. It was therapeutic for me to make, and while playing, the kids rehearse memories as they refine their recall and spacial skills. Materials: – cardboard large enough to make your template – large sheets of scrapbook card stock – scissors – pens – cold laminate sheets (optional) First, create your template shape on cardboard. I chose a heart shape to reinforce that Daddy loved them – you can pick any shape that you want. Cut […]
Giving to Others Helps the Griever
August 18, 2010
When your child dies at any age a part of you dies with them. Whether they only lived within the womb or whether they lived thirty years, a part of you is lifeless. The question you must ask yourselves is: What are you going to do with that missing piece? Can it ever be filled? If so, what will it be filled with? When my grandfather died, I felt as though my heart would break. He practically raised me, and to have him pass away was just plain sad. Then my father died and that heartbreak happened. To have him […]
Carole Weddington: Letting Go
August 16, 2010
Carole Weddington shares her story of her mother’s death by her nephew. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/OTH_Carol-Weddington-Hunt-06_28_10.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Mother Leaves Memory Box to Grateful Daughters
July 25, 2010
The following is based on a true story: Some time after our mother’s death, my sister and I arranged to meet at our mother’s home to begin the process of sorting out her belongings. It was a beautiful spring morning; the sun was shining and the first blossoms were appearing on the trees. There was a mix of feelings for both of us; on one hand we knew that we had to start the process of cleaning and sorting, and on the other, we felt the finality and having to accept that Mum had died. We stood in the hallway. “It’s cold,” […]
Dr. Laura Slap-Shelton: Death of a Parent
July 15, 2010
Laura Slap-Shelton lost her father at age 12, she has gone on to write a children’s book helping kids cope with loss. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/OTH_Laura-Slap-Shelton-05_17_10.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
To We Who Have Lost Our Fathers, Happy Father’s Day
June 20, 2010
A few weeks ago, it was my father’s birthday. Although he died 38 years ago, his memory is always in my heart. And it is in these days — anniversaries, birthdays, Father’s Day — that his memory comes to life again with more intensity, with more pain, with more emotions. It is in these days when we remember once more how much we miss our loved one. As the head of my family, my father was the source of strength and stability. When I lost him, I felt something of me had gone with him. For many years, I needed […]
Father Died Young but Left Lasting Legacy
June 19, 2010
I see my mother everywhere. Though I never looked like her, I can now see a physical resemblance and so many of my qualities remind me of her. Not so for my dad. Everyone said I looked like him, but I no longer can see the resemblance. I never had the good fortune to get to know him, and he wasn’t part of my life long enough for me to emulate him in any way. My father died when I was eleven, and he spent the last year of his life in the hospital. While his death was devastating, my […]
Remembering Dad in Poetry
June 17, 2010
Father’s Day in 2007 was one of the real highlights of the relationship I had with my dad. Mom had died in May, 2007. Dad was wearing out (he was 94), but hung on until Mom died. He seemed to be doing well for a couple of months after Mom’s death, but it was short-lived. It was right around Father’s Day of that year that we seemed to connect better than we ever had before. I treasure the time I had with him over those precious few weeks. He faded rather quickly in August and died in mid-September of congestive […]
