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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Be Humble
May 27, 2009
As I was working out the other day, I happened to look up at one of the many TV’s they have on at the gym and saw FOX news on. Neil Cavuto who has a popular program on that channel was talking but of course they did not have the sound on. All they had were those blurbs that run by the screen. When I looked up at the TV the blurb I saw was: “My Dad said, be humble… and good things will happen.” How true that is. My Dad said the same thing. […]
The Everyday Hero
May 25, 2009
Today as we celebrate Memorial Day, honoring all of our brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day so we can continue to enjoy our daily freedoms, we remember that these people are everyday people who live in your neighborhood. These are the people you see at the police station, corner store, or in an executive’s office. These brave men and women are your father or my mother. These people are our real American heroes. My Dad died three years ago from an unexpected heart attack. It was sudden and it turned […]
Can’t Think of Mom Without Crying
May 22, 2009
Question from a reader: I just wish for the day when I can think of my mom without crying. Why does it seem to last for so long? It’s been five months since my mom passed and I still can’t think of her without bawling. I’ve been very depressed lately and some days are better than others, but it often feels as if I’m on a roller-coaster. I just want to keep it together for my daughter; I don’t like falling apart in front of her. I wish there was an easy solution to all of this pain. I just […]
From Tears to Ideas, the Healing Begins
May 21, 2009
By Mary Bart — Words can barely describe the depth of loss I felt when my father died. I believe that I cried every day for at least a couple of years. My life felt so empty and so alone. I was 48 years old, and did not know how I was going to get on with my life. Every night, I would take my two dogs for a walk before heading to bed, and I would cry and talk with my dad. While my heart was broken with his loss, I still had the responsibility to help care for […]
Jane Galbraith: Hospice, Facing Loss and Recovery
May 21, 2009
Jane talks about the baby boomers, end of life, and finding hope. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2010/10/Jane-Galbraith-052109.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
We’ll Vote On It
May 18, 2009
As I was writing this post I was going to go in a completely different direction and then something changed. I burped. Yep, that’s right I burped. Now readers out there are wondering how in the hell can you be influenced in writing about one of nature’s gaseous effects? The reason is very simple. Every time I used to burp around my Dad he would say the exact same thing: “Bring it up and will vote on it.” I laughed hysterically every single time he said it, and to this day I still have no […]
Talking to the Wall
May 14, 2009
Growing up my Dad used to get so frustrated when he would have to repeat things over and over again to me. It is not that I didn’t understand them, it was probably more like I didn’t think it was important enough at the time to remember. Clean your room, don’t fight with your sisters, pick your shoes up from the front of the door were common things I did in which the infamous response from my Dad was, “It feels like I am talking to the wall.” How many times in life with family and friends do […]
So the grass isn’t perfect…
May 12, 2009
As spring time approaches, the sun is coming out, the rain clouds visit occassionally and the grass grows and grows. This is a signal in the Midwest that yes, finally we can get rid of the 6 months of winter everyone complains about. A favorite pastime of every kid was that first time they cut the lawn under the watchful eye of Dad. I can remember it like it was yesterday, and I am sure if my Dad was here too, he would remember it in a much different way. I was about 10 and I felt like […]
‘Tiny Memories’ of Mother Magnified This Time of Year
May 9, 2009
By Luellen Hoffman My mind is confused about my mother being gone, even though it’s been a couple years since she died. I feel like I can’t fathom the fact that she is not only gone, but “gone forever”. I try to understand what that forever part means, and logically I get it and I talk to my brother Michael about it, but for some reason I just can’t put my intellectual reasoning around it yet. This concept of “forever” is too big for me conceive. Little things remind me of her, like pansies. She loved pansies and would always […]
