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Bereavement

Not sure how I feel yet.

(110 Posts)
phoenix Sun 12-Feb-17 04:03:46

Had a phone call from DIL at half past midnight to say that my mother has died. She (my mother) stopped speaking to me some years ago, heaven knows why, I ran myself ragged looking after things when my stepfather was ill and after he died.

I tried to find out what the problem was, but phone calls resulted in her hanging up on me, an unexpected encounter in Waitrose was unbelievably awful, made me wish I had just stayed hiding behind the yoghurt section instead of approaching her.

Now of course I will never be able to sort things out.

I was so proud of her, she was an unmarried mother in 1958, in a small community. She was sent away for the birth, I was supposed to be adopted, but she decided to keep me, despite my having a cleft palate and being difficult to feed.

Perhaps one day I will try to tell the whole story, or at least as much of it as I know, but for now I must admit to feeling somewhat out of kilter, hence still being up at 4am.

phoenix Wed 17-May-17 14:58:16

I sincerely hope not.

Backsup1 Wed 17-May-17 13:56:32

So sorry for you that you never got to say good-bye but she knows and watches down on you from above

downtoearth Thu 23-Feb-17 19:29:42

Have just seen this thread and send my sympathies on the loss of your mum,I am another who had a difficult relationship with my mum,and a sadness that things where not different flowers

Charleygirl Thu 23-Feb-17 18:36:32

So sorry phoenix I totally missed the thread. I hope that Mr.P is looking after you.flowers Please look after yourself, life is not easy.

Scooter58 Thu 23-Feb-17 18:27:58

flowers Phoenix,and also for you HG15 on the loss of your husband,cherish the good times as my Nana used to say .

jenn Thu 23-Feb-17 17:34:26

Be kind to yourself

callgirl1 Wed 22-Feb-17 17:53:34

I`m so sorry Phoenix, I haven`t visited this section for a while. My deepest sympathies on the loss of your mother. Take good care of yourself.

phoenix Thu 16-Feb-17 00:28:07

sorry for the delay, have just got back to this thread.

Many thanks for all the supportive posts, and every good wish to those who have posted about similar situations.

Maimeo Mon 13-Feb-17 23:41:25

So sorry for your loss, Phoenix, I hope time helps you to come to terms with your unresolved relationship with your motherflowers

Diddy1 Mon 13-Feb-17 22:11:49

So sorry for your loss Phoenix.
Hugs xx

mrshat Mon 13-Feb-17 20:44:24

So sorry to hear your sad news*Phoenix*. Be kind to yourself flowers

Morgana Mon 13-Feb-17 20:21:41

I wrote a letter to my dad after he had died as a previous poster said. It does help to deal with the anger, frustration and love. Since, I have written several poems about him and with time it becomes easier to see our parents Iives in the context of their times. U will probably never know why she chose to distance herself from you. Think of her relationships with your own kids as her way of still keeping that line to u open. Try not to let it affect your own relationships with your children. U will get through this. One step at a time. Good luck

cheerfullizzy Mon 13-Feb-17 19:40:32

Be kind to yourself ..as you would to others in the same situation...give yourself time ..to reflect...to understand in your own way..& to come to terms...your Mum absolutely without doubt loved you...She chose to keep you...& i'm sure she is watching over you...
to lose a mum is incredibly painful.....I truly know...
You will be alright, I promise.....Time passes & heals, xx

Crafting Mon 13-Feb-17 19:24:48

Sorry phoenix just read this thread. So sorry for your loss. How sad for you and your mum to have lost so much time together. Who knows what goes on in other's minds. Thinking of you flowers and ((huggs))

newnanny Mon 13-Feb-17 19:00:30

She was your Mum of course you will be upset even if you were not getting along. Try to remember she did love you and kept you against all odds. After my Mum died I made a memory box and put in lots of bits and pieces that meant something including writing out some of my favourite memories of my Mum and me. In the beginning it was hard to open it without crying but now years later I can look in the box and smile. I think i did it because i was afraid I may have forgotten some of the things about her, which of course i didn't but then you feel odd when your Mum dies. Be kind to yourself. [cupcake}

Bluegayn58 Mon 13-Feb-17 17:57:17

I am so sorry to read about your pain. It's soul destroying when a parent behaves in this way and you don't know why.

The thing is, you'll never know now but perhaps there was something going on in her mind which maybe even she didn't understand or know about.

I wish I could say some words to make it better, but remember she loved you so much that, against the odds, she made it through as your mum. Take care lovely lady. xx

DS64till Mon 13-Feb-17 17:06:38

Hugs X Going through something similar with my StepDad and sister/brother. Was always there for them but haven't seen or spoken for years. Draw comfort from knowing you tried x

Grannyben Mon 13-Feb-17 17:06:00

I am so very sorry for your loss, it is so sad when you have become estranged after a good relationship, I think it always leaves you grieving for what might have been. If your mother was close to your DS and dil perhaps she confided in them about your relationship and, obviously they have had divided loyalties. Maybe now they may feel in a position to shed some light on the situation. I send flowers and hugs

radicalnan Mon 13-Feb-17 16:36:58

The loss of a relationship we never really had is the hardest to bear, it can drive you crazy wondering why..

Try to be kind to you both, maybe she wasn't so great with emotional things and whatever bugged her decided least said soonest mended........

I am sorry for your loss........tough times, plenty of support here.

KatyK Mon 13-Feb-17 16:22:17

flowers It is so sad when someone so close dies without things being resolved.

dogsmother Mon 13-Feb-17 15:50:08

Aww, so, so sorry.just big hugs and no words of reason from me ?

hulahoop Mon 13-Feb-17 15:35:50

Sorry for you loss Phoenix ?

Jalima Mon 13-Feb-17 15:17:28

I am so sorry to hear your sad news Phoenix and I hope that you will be able to grieve for the mother you knew when you were younger. You may or may not find out why she acted as she did - perhaps your DS may know or he may not want to tell you. Perhaps it may be better not to know as it could have been something you could have put right but she never told you for whatever reason.
It is so sad when family members do this and don't talk their problems through.

flowers and sympathy

JEANIEJ Mon 13-Feb-17 15:06:37

flowers
Wishing you peace.

VIOLETTE Mon 13-Feb-17 14:29:47

So sorry Phoenix ...like your namesake you will be able to rise again onward and upward from this distressing time. Mum and daughter relationships are complex I know ...my dear old mum died aged 64 when I was 22 ...she and I never saw eye to eye ....after she died my dad told me she never wanted me ,,and I still have a scar above my eyebrow where she threw a carving knife at me once for no reason ! However, she was still my mother and when I left home I would return sometimes at the weekend taking a gift and if I couldn't get home, sending flowers....but nothing changed ! In my case my D has not spoken to me for ten years ...indeed just last week I discovered she told one of her childhood friends I had died ! Just as well the friend knows different !

Don't berate yourself ...you have done the very best you could have in the circumstances and like so many of us you will never know the reason she chose to cut you out of her life, Difficult now, but try to remember when there were happier times and do go to the funeral ,,it may give you closure ! Bon courage as they say here ! flowers