Condolences Sorcha, your feelings are perfectly normal. In some ways I wish I could show my feelings for my mums death.
My mother died on the 31st April this year and I don’t think I’ve started the grieving process yet, I certainly haven’t cried. Mum did not live well with dementia, she fought it every step of the way! In the last year of her life she changed into a nasty, aggressive, rude, angry person who bit, kicked, scratched, spat at her carers and any medical staff who tried to help her. It did not stop me loving her as I knew it was the dementia that made her this way but it was challenging to watch.
I never wanted to watch anyone die and wasn’t sure I could do it but did make the decision to be with mum at the end although I’m still not sure if it was right for me. I was with my sister and brother for her last few hours, it was a very quick and peaceful death, she was already dozing when we got to her room after being phoned by the doctor, not on any medication, not moving, just breathing quietly until after 90 minutes, the breathing just stopped. But I hated seeing her look so defenceless in bed, a tiny figure compared to how she used to be, barely making an imprint under the covers.
I didn’t cry at her funeral either, it was a celebration of her life not a religious service, surrounded by family and friends who knew her before the dementia and at the pub afterwards the alcohol flowed as we reminisced and shared happy memories. I thought I might cry afterwards after every one left or in the weeks to follow but I just feel cold and numb.
I was relieved that she did not linger for days without food or fluids like so many do, although she had been reluctant to eat or drink for a few weeks, she only became noticeably poorly the night before which is why the care home called the GP in the morning when she was hard to arouse. Just a week before she had tried to bite the doctor as he tried to take her blood pressure!
In many ways, tears and feelings of sadness would probably be better as I think I am just burying my head in the sand and ignoring her death.