Another new direction

I was asked recently to be part of the Open to Hope Foundation, www.opentohope.com , to help those who have suffered a loss to cope with their pain and find hope for the future. It was my blog, my involvement and speaking at many national bereavement conferences, and my meeting Gloria and Heidi Horsley, grief specialists, that led me down this path. I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason, and I can see now what direction my life is taking.

Believe me when I say that this is definitely not what I thought my life would be like. My daughter was my life, but now that she is gone, I have found the path that most suits me. It was not an easy path, but deep down, I knew that my life would be dedicated to those grieving, who like me, need some direction with surviving. “What do I do with my life now that this has happened to me and everything has changed?” That is the question I asked myself when I came up with the idea of my book and finding out what others did and how they moved on with their lives. Finding something good out of tragedy is not an easy task. But my goal has always been, if I can help one person, I’ve succeeded. And if my book has helped anyone, then it was worth writing.

This new sight, Open to Hope, grew out of Gloria and Heidi’s broadcast show on “Healing the Grieving Heart” which can be heard every Thursday morning on www.health.voiceamerica.com . Open to Hope is a wealth of information for all kinds of grief, not only a child’s death. One can find information on death of a spouse, cancer, AIDS, having faith, counseling, hospice, organ donation, suicide, teen grief, and grief and how it relates to marriages, depression and all facets of life. They also hope to find moderators for their interactive help groups.

All of the articles are written by experts in the field in addition to those who have been there and are well-known. They share stories and offer assistance to others. The contributing authors and others will also answer questions you may have. The site is still being worked on and improved day by day, but the important thing is that it is there now for others.

Just a few examples of personal stories now appearing include: “Bereaved Mother Feels Like She Can’t Go On,” “When a Miscarriage Occurs After Fertility Treatments,” “Military Losses Often Complicated by War Coverage” and “The Poetry of Death: Can It Comfort Us?”

I was asked to be part of the “Death of a Child” section and will be writing a variety of articles on coping, personal stories and information material. Some of my blogs may also appear on the site. Take a look at the site, and see if you don’t agree that this site has great potential for helping others.