Open to Hope Articles

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For Widows Only–6 Ways To Have A Happier New Year

Posted on February 23, 2007 - by Abel Keogh

Happy New Year! Yeah, I know. You’re thinking what’s with this writer? Life sucks without Him by your side. How dare she use the H word and wish me a Happy New Year. Well, I feel your pain. Really, I do, because I am a widow, too. But, I’m here to tell you, everything will be alright. No, it won’t be like it was before He left. But yes, you can and you will get through 2007–With a smile.

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For Widows Only–6 Ways To Have A Happier New Year

Posted on February 23, 2007 - by admin

Happy New Year! Yeah, I know. You’re thinking what’s with this writer? Life sucks without Him by your side. How dare she use the H word and wish me a Happy New Year. Well, I feel your pain. Really, I do, because I am a widow, too. But, I’m here to tell you, everything will be alright. No, it won’t be like it was before He left. But yes, you can and you will get through 2007–With a smile.

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For Widows Only–6 Ways To Have A Happier New Year

Posted on February 23, 2007 - by Linda Della-Donna

Happy New Year! Yeah, I know. You?re thinking what?s with this writer? Life sucks without Him by your side. How dare she use the H word and wish me a Happy New Year. Well, I feel your pain. Really, I do, because I am a widow, too. But, I?m here to tell you, everything will be alright. No, it won?t be like it was before He left. But yes, you can and you will get through 2007–With a smile.

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For Widows Only-You Know You’re A Widow When

Posted on February 21, 2007 - by admin

At the end of a good day you bust out crying for no particular reason. At the end of a bad day you burst out laughing for no particular reason. At the end of everyday, you crawl into bed and sleep on His side. You refuse to throw away His toothbrush, His razor, His bar of soap. Because you think He’ll need them.

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For Widows Only-You Know You’re A Widow When

Posted on February 21, 2007 - by Linda Della-Donna

At the end of a good day you bust out crying for no particular reason. At the end of a bad day you burst out laughing for no particular reason. At the end of everyday, you crawl into bed and sleep on His side. You refuse to throw away His toothbrush, His razor, His bar of soap. Because you think He?ll need them.

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Anna Nicole Smith’s Sudden Death is Unexplainable

Posted on February 15, 2007 - by admin

Anna Nicole Smith’s death fascinates me. For one reason the public reaction to the death is as intense as the death itself. The public craves to know why and how she died. We want to blame something. A sudden death leaves people with many unanswered questions and it can affect grieving for years. The idea that a death can occur for no apparent reason is just unacceptable.

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Life on Hold-The Weight of Death

Posted on February 15, 2007 - by admin

For the past few days I?ve been walking around feeling like there?s a big weight hanging over me ready to fall at any moment. Getting things done has been a chore. Making plans beyond the next day has taken all of my willpower. It feels as though my life is on hold and that I?m just waiting.

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Grief: Then and Now

Posted on February 14, 2007 - by admin

Over one hundred years ago, during the Victorian era, death and grief were popular subjects for poems, songs and stories. Grieving was considered a natural and acceptable part of the culture. People in mourning wore black clothing and/or black arm bands, women wore black veils, and it was common to see a black wreath on the door of the home of a bereaved family, announcing publicly that this was a home of sorrow. Bereavement was conspicuous and there were very specific societal customs designed to support people during the mourning process. However, during that same era, no person of breeding […]

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Honoring the Dead

Posted on February 14, 2007 - by admin

Honoring the dead is accomplished in a myriad of ways and degrees, depending on culture, religion, and present social perspective. Most cultures pay respects to their dead in the funeral event. The Irish have the stereotypical ” wake ” , where they laugh , cry, and converse at length about the loved one’s life- good and bad.

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Hospice Care Services

Posted on February 13, 2007 - by admin

In this article, I will outline key points my fellow hospice team members and I have observed in our day to day work.. I have worked over 12 years as a Spiritual Counselor in Hospice Care. Each person teaches me something, though it is I who is supposed to minister to them in the final moments. For my colleagues and I, working in hospice is an ongoing challenge and learning experience, that presents us with learning of the deepest kind – on a soul level. In this article, I share with you the perspectives of my colleagues and myself, at […]

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