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.
SORT BY RELATIONSHIP
Poem: A Soul
April 21, 2010
Hiding amongst The shadows Of a broken heart Lives a soul Torn apart. Blistered and Burned by Death’s Blinding rays Fear of tomorrow Remain today. Peering through The crevasses of Hope and faith Reality slaps her Back into place. Rays of sunshine Happiness and Joy Once trusted And, vital Not anymore. Deborah Ann Tornillo Author, 36 Days Apart Copyright© 2010
Poem: High on a Shelf
April 19, 2010
I put my heart in a box Placed it high on a shelf Where it will be safe with Loving memories of you. When I’m filled with sorrow I’ll peek inside the box Feel my grieving heart and Remember joy with you. When I’m filled with anger I’ll peek inside the box Feel my heart hurting and Remember happiness with you. When I’m filled with fear I’ll peek inside the box Feel my lonely heart and Remember feeling safe with you. It will be safe on the shelf In a beautifully carved box My heart beating strongly For the day […]
The Sweater: Daughter Wishes She Could Repay Father’s Gift
April 18, 2010
It is the third of December 2008. I sit by my dad’s bedside, holding his hand and watching him breathe, holding my breath as his stops for several seconds, only exhaling when he finally takes another faltering breath. I count: ten seconds of silence followed by a gasping breath, then fifteen seconds of shallow noisy breathing. Over and over the cycle repeats. His mouth opens and closes with a little pop on each exhale —“guppy breathing,” the hospice nurse calls it. His left hand reaches up, as if grasping for something—or maybe pushing something away. I read to him: Jonathan […]
Music Helps Tap into Good Memories of Dad
April 8, 2010
My dad died in July of 2009. It was a great loss for me, as I had lost my mom 6 years earlier. He was in declining health, but nothing seemed life threatening. Then he had a sudden aneurysm in his stomach, and was gone less than 2 hours after being taken to the hospital. My dad was a Christian and ready to go. We sang gospel music for over 45 years and my wife, children and I will carry on with that ministry. The emotion that surprises me the most from the loss of my dad is that I feel alone […]
Poem: A Gift of Sorrow
March 31, 2010
I close my eyes It all goes away. Today, tomorrow The sorrow. I open my eyes Rushes back in. Curse at my Lord I’ve committed a sin. If I keep them closed I hide within. Will he forgive me? I’ve cursed him. Open my eyes Accept tomorrow. The gift he’s given The sorrow. Deborah Ann Tornillo Copyright© 2010 http://www.deborahtornillo.com http://www.authorsden.com/dtornillo
Looking Through the Window: A View of ‘Home’
March 26, 2010
It is the summer of 2007. At eighty-five years old, my mother is in the hospital for the second time in as many weeks. She is weak and tired and more than a little frightened. At the age of eighty, her kidneys failed. She’s been a dialysis patient for five years now, and while it’s given her new life it has also been hard on her body and spirit. Heart problems, pneumonia and now a GI bleed have required these most recent hospitalizations. She lies in her hospital bed looking out the small window. The angle of the bed is […]
Poem: A Blind Eye
March 24, 2010
Can I turn a blind eye? Say to myself “It is what it is” or Turn a face of denial? I can turn it on Right or wrong. Trying to stay strong For however long. Torment, a reality Eats away at the core Continue to pray, Pray to My Lord. Can I turn a blind eye? Say to myself “Yes I can” I’m in denial. Lord, do you feel me? My broken heart It hurts. Torn, torn apart. Deborah Ann Tornillo Author, 36 Days Apart Copyright© 2010 http://www.deborahtornillo.com
Poem: A Struggle Within
March 23, 2010
Fall of 2007 He opened the Gates of Heaven. He took them By their hand. To a Promised Land. He showed them A shining light. An Eternal Life. Spring of 2010 Still struggling and Missing them. In this distant land He promised to Hold my hand. Still struggling and Missing them. A struggle within. Deborah Ann Tornillo Author, 36 Days Apart Copyright© 2010 http://www.deborahtornillo.com
The Road Back from Loss Leads to Grief-Counseling Career
March 17, 2010
The road back from any loss is crooked and wide, and sometimes even circular. My experiences as a primary caregiver in my home (with hospice support) with my husband, my father, and my female best friend all affected me in different ways. I’ve read that the depth of grief is equal to the degree and depth of love and caring for that person. I was devastated with the loss of my husband, grieved little for my harsh father, and still long for my friend. Yes, death or other losses can knock us flat on our backs. In my case, it […]
