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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Diary of a Bereaved Mother, Part 2
January 20, 2022
The following is an excerpt from From a Grieving Mother’s Heart. An excerpt from earlier in this book containing the diary of a bereaved mother is available here. Diary of a Bereaved Mother January 13th (Day 221) Now that the young man who caused your death has been meted his punishment and the courts have done their job . . . or did they . . . I should be able to “turn the page” and move forward, but it’s not easy. Grieving is full of many sharp turns and curves, and they often catch me off-balance like they […]
Dr. Joann O’Leary, Dr. Margaret Murphy, Lynnda Parker: Pregnancy and Parenting After a Loss
January 20, 2022
Have you considered how a second pregnancy can impact a family after a stillbirth or miscarriage? Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and their expert guests Dr. Margaret Murphy, Lynnda Parker and from Dr. Joann O’Leary for advice on getting support. They are the co-authors of Different Baby, Different Story: Pregnancy and Parenting After Loss. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Dr-Joann-OLeary-Dr-Margaret-Murphy-Lynnda-Parker-Pregnancy-and-Parenting-After-a-Loss.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Lily Dulan: Giving Grief Meaning
January 6, 2022
Are you looking to transform your grief? Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and Lily Dulan, bereaved mother, Marriage and Family Therapist for tips and tools on positive change. Lily is the creator of The Name Workand author of Giving Grief Meaning: A Method for Transforming Deep Suffering into Healing and Positive Change. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Lily-Dulan-Giving-Grief-Meaning.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Dreaming About My Daughter
January 2, 2022
It was an extraordinary night dreaming about my daughter. In the dream, my throat was covered with layers of stuff that prevented me from speaking out. I began coughing and coughing and could hardly stop. With each cough, some of the layers dropped away. My family in spirit, including my deceased daughter Jasmine, were around me, cheering me on to write. WRITE. WRITE. COME ON, WRITE! Okay. I am. I will. Yes! Then I saw in my mind those football rattles that go round and round making celebratory noises, and there were whoops of laughter all around me. Jasmine stays […]
Mom’s First Birthday Without Daughter
January 2, 2022
I was dreading my first birthday without my daughter, and I knew that if I didn’t mark it differently it would be unbearable. The days leading up to it are grim. My body begins aching all over, so much so that I worry I am going back to how I was at the start. Then I remember that the body has its own cellular memory. It forgets nothing. My body knows full well that my birthday is approaching. On the day itself, I am relieved to wake up feeling better. I leave the house before the postman comes, knowing there […]
First Days After My Child’s Death
January 2, 2022
It’s the first days after my child’s death. I write her a letter. Dear Jasmine, I’m in agony and spend ages just sitting on the sofa. It’s hard to describe how I feel. I’ve not energy for anything. Muppet needs a walk each day but that’s about it. I can’t get warm, even with a hot water bottle on my back. Anna has been over. You met her on a few occasions. She hands me a card and a small gift. I make tea for us. I want to talk about you, so tell her a little about your funeral. […]
Forever Loved: Parents Love Their Deceased Children
December 18, 2021
Tim and Donna Culliver had nothing to worry about. That’s what the doctor told the Brenham, Texas, couple when Donna brought in their 4-year-old son, Adam, after he developed a fever and began complaining of nausea. Reassured that he had just caught a typical stomach bug, they returned home, where Adam continued running around with his usual infectious, energetic smile on his face. Two days later, Adam woke up from an afternoon nap screaming that his eyes hurt. “It was a different cry,” Donna recalled in a recent phone interview. “Like an excruciating cry, like, ‘Help me.’” She noticed his […]
Mindy Corporon: Healing Your Shattered Soul
December 16, 2021
Are you struggling to find hope after a traumatic loss? Join Dr’s Heidi and Gloria Horsley and their guest Mindy Corporon. You will be inspired by her journey toward hope after domestic terrorism took the lives of her father and son. She is the author of Healing a Shattered Soul. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Mindy-Corporon-Healing-Your-Shattered-Soul.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Grief Tools to Support You
December 12, 2021
Grief Tools for Support As I walked down the concrete path away from the hospital that had become my reality, grief came over me like a tidal wave. I wasn’t sure I’d survive. I walked across the street to where I had stayed for 42 days and 42 nights, as tears began streaming down my face. There was no longer a reason to be in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and I was devastated. I needed some grief tools to make it through. That morning, as I left the hospital without my six-week-old son, my whole world came crashing […]
