Replies

Mama, My FIL died in June 2006 and my MIL is just now fully realizing her loss. I’m probably not explaining this well - but she told me intellectually knows he is gone but emotionally she is just now feeling the full brunt. It’s been very emotional for her, and she is not an emotional person - so it’s been all that much harder to watch. My prayers are with you, you have lost so much but life is still to be lived. Peace Mama.

It's not unusual for it to be years before it really sinks in. It happened to my mother when my father died, and it happened with me after they each died. For some reason, after I thought I had gotten over it, something triggered the memories and brought it all back. Christmas was really hard a couple years because of that for no reason that I could put my finger on.

You know what really gets to me is my daughter’s death. One example. I had to go to the ER about 10 days ago. When the nurse came into the room, I just knew I knew her from somewhere. I asked her if she had been my daughter’s nurse when she was there so many times. She said she was and then asked how she was doing. When I told her about her death, she was shocked. Think it bothered her more than me at that time. I know that she influenced so many over her lifetime. I knew if I could survive her death, then any others would be much easier. Still, things I see or read about makes me want to tell her.

So true. It’s hard to watch someone go through and it’s hard to feel it so keenly. After spending the better part of 50 years with someone (in my MIL’s case) I can’t imagine the loss.