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 7,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.

Articles Home

Open to hope

Grief Poem: Where the Soul Never Dies

Posted on November 27, 2006 - by admin

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding death resources. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about death. Each of us find ourselves wondering about dying. This introspective look at our future engages our hearts and minds to enter into what we cannot embrace. Sometimes, words are so limiting and are sometimes best captured in a poem. This poem is a reflection of what I am trying to describe. Where the Soul Never Dies Nature, a reflection of our soul, reveals the seasons of our lives. Like people, earth’s […]

Read More
Open to hope

Grief Poem: Mother, I Don’t Mind The Pain

Posted on November 27, 2006 - by admin

I am among those who know that one never recovers from the loss of one deeply loved. We come to accept the death and adjust our lives – rather begrudingly, but we do not recover, we survive. Somewhere in the grief process, we make the decision to survive and then we are emotionally enabled to build a different kind of relationship with our deceased loved one. Mother, I Don’t Mind The Pain When you died my dearest, blessed mother, I had no sights or thoughts for tomorrow. My soul experienced a wrenching eruption

Read More
Open to hope

Palliative Care – Helping You Care For Your Terminally Ill Loved One

Posted on November 27, 2006 - by admin

Ask most people what they know about Palliative Care and they will inevitably reply that it is intended for those who are dying. Undeniably, Palliative Care is available to support families at this sad time, however their services are equally intended to provide physical, emotional and spiritual support to the patient and their families as they journey through terminal illness.

Read More
Open to hope

Song of Cy – Understanding Grief: Book Review

Posted on November 26, 2006 - by admin

Are you a step-parent, parent, sibling, grandparent or friend of a deceased person? Then this book is for you! A delicately written and moving piece of work that is electrically charged with Katlyn Stewart?s love and grief for her daughter. Join in the celebration of life through Katlyn?s tale recounting her daughter?s life and learn about the grieving process.

Read More
Open to hope

Holiday Heartbreak

Posted on November 26, 2006 - by admin

It is the season to be jolly, as all the songs and magazine articles will tell you,but for some of us that is not how we feel. Family is the most important part of the Christmas season, the laughter,the visits of far away relatives,the children with their games and of course,last, but not least, the Turkey!! I remember many happy holiday times when all my family were gathered together to celebrate this wondrous season,we would share family stories,look at old photographs,play silly games and just revel in being together.

Read More
Open to hope

I’ll Be Home for Christmas-A Poem About the First Christmas Without My Father

Posted on November 25, 2006 - by admin

This poem speaks for itself. It was written during the Christmas season just before the one-year anniversary of my father’s death. Though a bit sad, it does remind us of what is truly important in life. I?ll be home for Christmas, or so the story goes, is repeated year after year. Regardless of weather or holiday traffic, you?ll find your way home clean and clear. Christmas is one of the times we?re together, we smile and we talk and we eat.

Read More
Open to hope

I Don’t Want To Do Christmas!

Posted on November 24, 2006 - by admin

Marianne sat on the edge of her seat, leaning towards me and, through her sobs and hiccoughs, stated very clearly, ?I don?t want to do Christmas!? ?I can?t, I just can?t.? Marianne was one of my clients, a middle-aged woman whose husband had died the previous year. She had gone through the first holiday season, one year ago, in a state of numbness after the unexpected death of her husband in November.

Read More
Open to hope

Death From Cancer: A Poem About My Father

Posted on November 24, 2006 - by admin

My father died from lung cancer on January third, 2005. After entering a nursing facility for rehab, we soon discovered that he had stage four small-cell lung cancer. He lived for three and one-half weeks after his diagnosis. While January third never had any signficance before, it now holds signficance for me that I would never have imagined. The words to the poem describe how one often feels about the anniversary of a person’s death.

Read More
Open to hope

Supporting Our Grieving Children To Cope with Katrina and Other Losses

Posted on November 24, 2006 - by admin

Children may feel the same feelings when they grieve as adults, yet their responses can be very different. In addition, every day through the media, images of death, loss, grief and violence are presented to not only adult eyes, but also the vulnerable eyes and hearts of our children. Adults barely have the tools and experience to process what they see intellectually and emotionally. Imagine how the younger and more vulnerable among us deal with this!

Read More
Open to hope

The Holiday Army

Posted on November 23, 2006 - by admin

Here it comes again ? the Holiday Army ? in its annual march against us. Some of its generals are called “Thanksgiving,” “Christmas,” “Hanukah,” “New Year?s Eve” and “New Year?s Day.” They are no respecters of the heartbroken and emotionally wounded, and their troops are merciless. They take no prisoners! They demand that we participate in their joy and nostalgia or they will mow us down with their militant tanks of holiday spirit.

Read More

Foundation

Get Involved

Resources

Copyright © 2025 Open to Hope