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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The Miracle of the Vigil
June 10, 2010
On Friday, November 5, 1999, as the sun rose over the ocean at St. Simons Island, Georgia, my mother, LuReese Watson Robertson, quietly yielded her spirit to God’s eternal care. The week before had been a time of prayers and tearful goodbyes for our family as we watched her slip away. In the hours I spent alone by her bedside, I talked to her even though she could not answer. Somehow I believe that she heard me as I thanked her for being such a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. Since there were some indications that she was aware of […]
Dating Again Brings Up Feelings of Love and Loss
May 20, 2010
Recently, I started dating. This major event in my life has brought up questions about my mother and father. What would they think of this man? Would my father be protective? Would my mother tell me stories of her dating experience? All of these questions bring pain and despair. I am encompassed by the reality that they are gone. When I feel this way, I bring out pictures and videos. I sit watching and listening, trying to make them as real as possible. But what happens when you dig too deep? When you try too hard to make them real […]
Love Never Dies
May 10, 2010
I sat with my father for the last time on Thursday, the 18th of December, 2008. His condition was not much different from the past several days; he was sleeping and unresponsive. For so many days now, I’d been sitting at his bedside, holding his hand, talking to him and wondering if he even heard me anymore. Watching him breathe. There was so little life left in him. I was scheduled to leave the next morning on a 6 am flight to Colorado to see my daughter graduate from CSU. I had a feeling he wouldn’t be here anymore when […]
Thank You for Loving Me
May 8, 2010
When I was born God gave me The greatest gift of all He gave me my mother. My mother’s love was Unconditional. Her love was Sacrificial, but infinite. Everyday I’m grateful To my Lord For his precious gift A mother’s love. Through her I learned Faith, Hope and Love. The greatest of these Is love. Mom, Happy Mother’s Day. I miss and love you. Thank you for loving me. Deborah Ann Tornillo Author, 36 Days Apart Copyright © 2010 http://www.deborahtornillo.com
Making Amends After Mom is Gone
May 8, 2010
Mother’s Day had been one of the most dreaded days of my life for a long time–until I learned that guilt can be overcome and forgiveness can take place after the death of your mother. The Mother’s Day before the loss of my stillborn son, I did something that was so out of character for me that I still cannot believe I did it. I totally ignored my mother on Mother’s Day, and I did it knowing that I would hurt her deeply. I was angry with her for being an alcoholic. I was angry with her for ruining her […]
The First Mother’s Day Without Mine
May 7, 2010
I’ve always been adept at compartmentalization or, as it’s less euphemistically known, DENIAL. I’ve read some wonderful books about the grieving process and its non-linear stages, most notably Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler’s On Grief and Grieving. While those books were comforting, I confess that being an only child and a New Yorker make me disdainful of generalizations. Sometimes, though, there’s just no escape; try as we might, the heart feels what the mind and senses seem to ignore. In April, the lilacs begin to bloom. I push back the familiar thoughts that they have always been the Mother’s Day […]
Mother’s Day Transforms After Mom’s Suicide
May 6, 2010
A woman I know recently wrote me an email that read: “Little children, I remember, I wonder, was it really me and was it really them?” This little comment struck me because I’ve mused in this very way about my mother who took her own life in October 1987. I’ve thought to myself: Did my mother really take her own life? Is this really my life? My experience? Those musings are part of a little game I used to play with myself: if I question it, if I wonder about it, perhaps I can imagine that it didn’t really happen […]
Mother’s Death Means ‘Losing Our World’
May 5, 2010
As Mother’s Day approaches, we find ourselves thinking about the relationship that started it all, and about our need to honor the woman who helped to make the world a better place. Indeed, perhaps the greatest partnership of all, and one that aids most in the replenishment of a holier, more “Divine” world, is the relationship between woman and God. For woman, who becomes mother (whether she is a biological or a psychological mother), is the progenitor of life, transmitter of covenantal law, and leader of the family. As mother, she lives not only for herself, but for “the multitude” […]
Coping With Mother’s Day When Your Mom Has Passed On
May 4, 2010
Mother’s Day has to be one of the worst days of the year if you have already lost, or are in the midst of losing, your mom. Wherever you go, there are reminders that your mom isn’t here or soon won’t be, ads for what gifts you should buy her, reminders to get her cards and flowers, discounts on the hottest restaurants. There are radio promotions, TV commercials; even your friends are talking about what they’re doing or what their kids plan to do for them! For those without the presence of their real mom (and that includes adopted kids), […]
