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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A final farewell…
July 10, 2009
As most of the world viewed Michael Jackson’s funeral on TV, it was truly a larger than life experience for a larger than life entertainer. It is really strange when a celebrity dies in this country. I think people finally understand, “Hey we really all are human. Death is going to happen to each one of us.” It is such a big deal to us because of the perceived joy and excitement they have brought to our lives. But here is a news flash: celebrities are just normal people who have been given an extraordinary talent that they have used […]
Pat and Kim Gibson: Lasting Memories of Our Parents
July 9, 2009
Pat and Kim Gibson are the founders of Elegant Memorials, Funeral Program Templates and Keepsakes. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2009/07/Pat_and_Kim_Gibson_070909.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Gemini Adams: Remembering Our Parents
July 9, 2009
Gemini’s mother died when Gemini was 21. Since then, she has written books to help memorialize loved ones. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2009/07/Gemini_Adams_070909.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Are You the Black Sheep Sibling? The Unlikely Caregiver?
July 7, 2009
Life is funny. Sometimes the most rebellious of us, the teen gone bad, the unwed mother of three, the Harley brother in leather and bandanas and lots of tattoos who become the best caregiver, the most thoughtful son–or daughter. Why? Sometimes those who travel counter to society have the most tender souls. Sometimes the battle with their personal demons have made them even more thoughtful, more real and more alive. They may wrap the package in a prickly covering, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a teddy bear underneath. Our lives are like boomerangs. For some of us, we fling […]
A beautiful sunrise…
July 6, 2009
My Dad was always one to get up in the morning and when I say morning, we are talking the 5 AM-5:15AM variety. His routine usually consisted of working at the kitchen table, shaving, and sometimes sitting and admiring the dawn of a new day. I never understood why sitting there seemed so peaceful until I became an adult. Everyone needs that recharge time whether it is in the morning, or at night. It’s different for everybody. It is a couple of moments of peace and solitude during the day and I have learned to cherish it as an adult. […]
Does Grief End? Turning the Corner After Mother’s Death
July 6, 2009
By Gemini Adams, MNFSH — It took me a very long time to integrate the loss of my mother. Perhaps this was because she died so prematurely, at just 48 years old. She was still a young person in the eyes of many. As for me, at 21, I was even younger. We had only just learned how to become friends, having battled through the high’s and lows of my teenage years. Just as we had come to see each other as allies, as women sharing similar challenges and interests, she was snatched away. It wasn’t unexpected. Mom died from […]
The Value of Music For Resolving Grief
July 1, 2009
By Tony Falzano — This is the 3rd in a series of four articles on music and how it acts as a healing agent for those grieving a loss. In previous articles, we discussed the health benefits of listening to music. We also examined how music can direct our attention from our uneasy surroundings as well as divert us away from pain. This month, we’ll look at another way music accompanies us through the grief process. It’s no secret that many therapists, clergy and medical professionals believe one of the best things we can do while grieving a loss is […]
The Race
June 23, 2009
As everyone knows by now, Father’s Day is the toughest day of the year for me. It is a constant reminder of how you really are different from someone else. Ever since my Dad died, my new tradition has been to run in the local Father’s Day 5k in my hometown which some of the proceeds are donated to the local YMCA. It is a great event and I did it by myself in 2006. In 2007 my mom and my sister came to cheer me on. In 2008 my brother-in -law, sister and friend […]
Why Does Alzheimer’s Effect People Differently?
June 22, 2009
Alzheimer’s does different things to different people. I’ve heard some people say their spouse or parent got sweeter. “Not my mother,” I say in return, laughing (and almost crying at the same time) at some of the antics my mother and I lived through. My mother had Parkinson’s and later, developed Alzheimer’s. Double whammy. Writing about our daily escapades in Mothering Mother helped me deal with the stress. Some people with Alzheimer’s are docile, too docile. They stop talking, and pretty much stop moving. And honestly, as hurtful and difficult as it is to have a feisty Alzheimer’s loved one, my […]
