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
Voice of Pain Becomes Voice of Comfort
September 6, 2011
There were so many voices in her head since his death, and they meshed into an angry crowd within her. These discordant sounds pulled her into an abyss called grief. As the voices blended together, she could not hear them clearly, drown them out or turn them off. It was a time of profound sadness and she was uneasy, off balance, in a dark place that didn’t seem to have an Exit sign within sight. At other times, the voice of grief came in at a different frequency ~ like a low, annoying and distracting hum, with no shut-off valve. […]
Widow Reflects on Labor Day and its Complications
September 5, 2011
Work is present in our daily lives on many levels. We labor at our formal employment, we toil on building relationships, and we act to keep ourselves fit and healthy. All of these chores fit one of the dictionary definitions of the word work. Each one is a “purposeful effort.” As we are closing in on Labor Day, I find myself with mixed emotions. This symbolic end of summer is usually marked with picnics and barbecues, which I love. Any excuse to eat outside and cook on the grill is fine with me! That means less work and more fun. […]
Combatting the Sunday Morning Loneliness
September 4, 2011
The television is crackling with news about the latest weather catastrophe! All the morning news shows are “round tabling” about the craziness of ALL the candidates!! I’m bursting with comments, remarks, outrage—and there’s no one here for me to share all this emotion with. I can easily feel sorry for myself and go into a lonely funk, but I choose not to. Instead I make a lovely breakfast just for me. I make plans to bake cupcakes later for a sick friend, and I think about what kind of writing I’ll do this afternoon (and if you have other creative talents […]
Memories of Flowers on a Rainy Day
August 30, 2011
The smell of rain humidified the air. I hit snooze twice, three times. I’m convinced rain in Los Angeles should be considered a snow day, a break from routine, from working hard, a day to stay under the blankets. Even Gladys didn’t want to undo the tight ball of her sleeping body. Contemplating a fourth snooze, I heard a knock on the door. Doubtful it was my house, I rolled over. Another knock disturbed the chilled room. What the hell do the neighbors want at 8 a.m.? I dragged myself out from the depths of my comforter and headed to […]
Visiting a Loved One’s Graves
August 12, 2011
When I was making lunch plans with a friend last week, she said she couldn’t meet Tuesday because it was her late husband’s birthday and she was going to visit him at his grave. I was touched because she said “visit him at his grave.” I know this is a pilgrimage she makes on their anniversary, her children’s birthdays, and other special family occasions. I also know it brings her enormous comfort because her husband is buried in Shalom Memorial Park in Arlington Heights, IL, where benches are placed strategically throughout the grounds, often beneath trees. The cemetery also provides tasteful holders […]
Faded Images, Sacred Days
July 27, 2011
As I look around me today, I see my life in all its colors. But, there seems to be a film noir running in the background of my mind, and I hear a faint clickity-clack as the movie reel turns. Some familiar scene, object or event triggers my memory to push forward – out of storage. Sometimes the faded image comes with a gentle nudge; sometimes it is like an electrical current that lights up the sky. The moment passes almost too quickly for me to make sense of it – like a fleeting dream you struggle to recall. […]
Tune Out Those Who Don’t Know How to Help
July 26, 2011
While chatting with a new acquaintance seated beside me at a dinner party, I learned her adult son died one year ago. Knowing what a terrible loss that is, and understanding that most people never recover from it, I said, “I’m so sorry. There is really nothing anyone can say to make you feel better, but please know I am very, very sorry for your loss.” She thanked me, then quietly asked when and how my husband died. I told her he died three years ago from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a disease of unknown cause with no treatment or cure. She immediately retorted, “Why didn’t […]
I have a friend who lost their spouse
July 19, 2011
I recently had a friend who lost her husband in an accident. How can I help her through her grief?
Widowhood: The TV Reality Series
June 30, 2011
Do you ever think that the networks are missing out on the ultimate reality series? What has more drama, sick humor, running mascara, and (sometimes) hair-pulling than widowhood? When I think of the millions that could have been made on my life in the last few years, it seems like such a waste. Anyone with a camcorder could have followed me around discreetly as I annoyed family members, shocked random bystanders, and started my own wine bottle recycling program and they would have been set for life. (If you’re reading this and you’re a producer, shoot me an email.) Forgive […]
