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
Deja Vu
March 26, 2009
Sometimes when you get that eerie feeling that something is just not right, they call it deja vu, which is French for “already seen.” It was New Year’s Day 2008 and my buddy called me at around 11:00 in the morning. Not necessarily unusual, but 11 in the morning on New Years Day triggered something in me that this wasn’t a Happy New Year 2008 call. I should tell those voices to shut up sometimes, because I was right. When I listened to the message a few hours after, the message was not only shocking but devastating. […]
Accidental Death of a Father
March 23, 2009
Dear Eric, I had found your podcast on my ipod last night and I was so glad I had found it. My name is Alisha and I am a 25 year old, wife to a wonderful husband and three beautiful girls. I wanted to share my story with you. On september 14, 2008, I lost my Dad who was at the age of 51 to a sudden tragic accident with a gun. At the time my family and my husband’s family were on a camping trip. That sunday (sept. 14th) we were planning on packing up that day, but […]
Gail Massey: Father Loss
March 19, 2009
Gail talks about the loss of her father and her writings on grief. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/audio.opentohope.com/2009/03/Gail_Massey_031909.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Preparing To Say Goodbye and Other Challenges of the Heart
March 17, 2009
I found out this week that my father’s several years-long battle with cancer has moved to a terminal stage. And while the news is not completely unexpected, it is a frightening jolt to be faced with his mortality in terms of months, all the same. My father has quietly admitted that he is afraid and not yet ready to die; heartbreaking words from someone whose emotions are usually very reserved. My dad would likely be surprised to know that I have always seen him as one of the strongest men I have ever known, despite the fact that there have been many differences between us. He has not […]
Film Review: Rumors of Angels
March 12, 2009
Reviewed by Mitch Carmody — If I were to recommend a movie to someone who is processing their loss, I would suggest “Rumors of Angels” with Vanessa Redgrave. This movie is based on the book, “Thy Son Liveth: Message From a Soldier to His Mother,” by Grace Duffie Boylan. The story revolves around a young boy who two years prior had lost his mother in a car accident. He was with her in the car and she died in his arms at the scene. His father quickly remarried and they live in a small fishing village in New England. The […]
Let’s Go Fishing
March 9, 2009
One of the fondest memories I have with my Dad is the time we went fishing together. I think I was about 8 or 9 and it was one of the greatest memories I have of my Dad and I doing something fun together. Just like the good Cub Scout I was I wanted to make sure we were prepared and I kept checking the garage to make sure the fishing rods didn’t disappear that week. Those babies were going to get some action come Saturday. Now in my young brain, it felt like we got up […]
Film Review: The Savages
March 6, 2009
Reviewed by Fran Dorf — Written and directed by Tamara Jenkins, The Savages is a nuanced, closely observed film about a middle-aged brother and sister reckoning with their guilt, responsibility, and ambivalent feelings when their long estranged father develops vascular dementia and has to be placed in a nursing home. Funny and tragic, with amazing performances by the gifted Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney as siblings Jon and Wendy, with incredible work by Philip Bosco as their father, Lenny, The Savages lacks a single false moment. It believably conveys complex characters and their tragic situation without trying to imposing […]
Defining Moments
March 5, 2009
Sometimes in life you have that moment that changes everything. It could that first moment you fell in love, getting into that college you always wanted, or winning the gold medal in the race you trained so hard for. Most of life’s defining moments can be just ordinary, everyday events or comments that upon further reflection could be the catalyst you need to make a change in your life. I remember once when I was a junior in high school, I was 16 years old, and typical of all 16 year olds, you think you know everything. […]
How to Talk To Your Doctor: Getting What You Want and Need, for Caregivers and Families
March 4, 2009
Most of us pine for the days when we had home town doc who delivered us, knows everything about us–and cared that we stay alive. Not that most ever had that–but it sure sounds good, doesn’t it? As a caregiver to my mom who had Parkinson’s, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s, trust me, I’ve spent a whole lot of time in the doctor’s offices. I’ve gone round and round trying to get them to understand not only what my mom needed, but what I could handle. I did a little research on-line to find out various ways to find a good doctor, and […]
