Today marks one month since my Mom passed away. It has been a month filled with emotions of all kinds. Those of you who have lost someone know what I am talking about. My brother's boss sent him a card that said "Nobody knows what it's like to lose your Mother unless they've been through it." Boy is that the truth. I never thought I would feel the range of emotions I have felt since her death. It's overwhelming sometimes.
My niece was having a hard time grieving and was being criticized by those close to her for the way she was choosing to handle it. NO ONE has that right. We all grieve differently, and the way we choose to do it is nobody's business but our own. Watching the death of someone you love is TRAUMATIC, and what we went through with my Mom was traumatic. Not just her dying, but her life before Alzheimer's, her life during Alzheimer's and now her death after Alzheimer's.
About 2 weeks after she passed, I got into bed and Hubby was already asleep. I cuddled up next to him and LOST IT. He, in bewilderment, was awake in a flash and asked me what was wrong. I couldn't even explain it properly. I felt guilty for feeling. Feeling mad at my Mom for handling life the way she did long before Alzheimer's crept in. Feeling ashamed for being mad at her. Feeling bad that I didn't cry so hard on the day of her funeral. Feeling devastated that my Mother was never going to call me on my birthday again, or hug my son again, or make horrible, inedible lasagna, or anything ever again. It's a harsh realization.
It's grief, plain and simple. I still don't feel like life will ever be "normal" again. And just when I think I am back to normal, something else happens or somebody says something that brings me right back to that moment in time. I guess I will just become a new normal now.
Thanks for listening.
-G
p.s. I love you and miss you, Mom. Rest in peace.
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1 comment:
Hello my friend...I debated on whether to comment, I'm not even sure if you knew that I check your blog periodically, (yes I'm a lurker) :)
In any event, I just wanted to say that, fortunately, I don't know what it's like to lose a parent; I know that someday I will unfortunately be a card-carrying member of that club, but for now I can only imagine how hard it must be for you.
There is no right way, nor is there a wrong way to grieve - there is only YOUR way. Grieving is a process and everyone does it differently. Shame on anyone who would criticize someone for the way they are handling their grief. Your job is to grieve, in whatever way you choose, and it is the privilege of those who know and love you to support you in that process.
Hugs and Love,
CAL
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