Mum’s grief is getting worse since my sister died 3 yrs ago.

Hello, my sister died 3 years ago of cervical cancer. She was 36 years old and had three children aged between 3 - 11. My mum has been grieving ever since, but it seems to be getting a lot worse. 

She blames my sisters partner for her death, she never goes to see my sisters grave and she never talks about my sister or the kids and doesn’t see the kids. My dad does his best.. goes and see’s the kids, my sisters grave and tries to help my Mum - but she thinks that everything he does is wrong. She thinks that because he speaks to my sisters partner and has thrown himself into his hobby that he doesn’t care. It’s almost as though she thinks he should be sitting in a dark room and crying. I live away from our home town but try my best to go back as much as possible.

In the last couple of months I have had text messages from several family members saying they have received unkind text messages from my Mum because they have invited my sisters partner to family gatherings (mainly for the kids to be invited), my sisters partner has had to block her number due to abusive messages she has sent him. I had my Dad call me the other day at midnight and he was sat in a a car park as he couldn’t go home because my Mum had totally lost it and was throwing stuff around the kitchen and shouting how horrible he is. Anyone who knows my Dad, would say that he’s the nicest, quietest man they know. 

After talking with my Dad we thought it would be a good idea to invite my Mum up to where I live for the night so she could get away and we could go out for dinner and we could have a chat and hopefully maybe me addressing some of the above... might help a little bit. So I’ve invited her up and her first thought was that my Dad and I her conspiring against her in some fashion. She’s coming up this weekend and to say I’m worried and nervous is an understatement. 

Does anyone have any advice on how I should go about talking to my Mum about this?

Any help and adivce or any do’s and don’ts Would be really appreciated. 

Thank you. 

Parents
  • Oh my ... so so sad ...

    I can take anything dished out to me .. and come back fighting ... everything except something happening to my lads ( now grown men) I completely lost the plot when my youngest was getting tested for cancer ... 

    I couldn't cope with that ... luckily he was o.k ... but when he gave me the news I was sobbing so hard , l couldn't hear him .. hysterical.... so you know most mum's loose it when it's our babies ... l really don't know if I'd ever be o.k again if I lost one ... your mum needs to put the blame somewhere ... that's normal ..  it gives a direction for the ultimate pain of loosening a child ... something in us dies ..

    But the saddest of all, is those grandkids are half of the daughter she lost ... they are part of her ... and as long as she looks at them and shows them love, her daughter will live in her children ... they need a nanny .. and I'm sure deep down she needs them .. she's probly feels pain when she sees them, but if she could turn that around and feel her daughter is right there ...

    She's got so much anger in her .. but anger just grows and grows ... till it eats her up like a different sort of cancer ... it's all consuming .... but untill she can find a way to let it go, she'll hurt everyone around her ..  it won't stop ... but if only she could look at you and your wonderfull dad and realise she's still a lucky lady to have you both in her life ... you've tried soft soaking it ... and it isn't working .. if you could give her a reality check and get her into councilling.... that would be huge ... she's lucky your wonderful dad hasn't given up .. because then she won't only loose a daughter .. but risk loosing everyone ...

    I say this because l know how crule cancer is ... it wants to destroy everyone ... it wants us to give up ... and never smile again ... sometimes we need gentle truth ... no mater what her son in law did or didn't do, that's life and no one is perfect ... but he's got little ones to bring up .. he must be hurting too .. he needs all your support ... as do their children ... it's your mum's choice what ever she does .. but it's not fare or right to make everyone else take sides ... 

    Sending you and dad and all those that are hurting a big vertual hug... start pulling together, instead of being pulled apart ... I'm sure your sisters heart would brake seeing what's happened ...

    Chrissie

Reply
  • Oh my ... so so sad ...

    I can take anything dished out to me .. and come back fighting ... everything except something happening to my lads ( now grown men) I completely lost the plot when my youngest was getting tested for cancer ... 

    I couldn't cope with that ... luckily he was o.k ... but when he gave me the news I was sobbing so hard , l couldn't hear him .. hysterical.... so you know most mum's loose it when it's our babies ... l really don't know if I'd ever be o.k again if I lost one ... your mum needs to put the blame somewhere ... that's normal ..  it gives a direction for the ultimate pain of loosening a child ... something in us dies ..

    But the saddest of all, is those grandkids are half of the daughter she lost ... they are part of her ... and as long as she looks at them and shows them love, her daughter will live in her children ... they need a nanny .. and I'm sure deep down she needs them .. she's probly feels pain when she sees them, but if she could turn that around and feel her daughter is right there ...

    She's got so much anger in her .. but anger just grows and grows ... till it eats her up like a different sort of cancer ... it's all consuming .... but untill she can find a way to let it go, she'll hurt everyone around her ..  it won't stop ... but if only she could look at you and your wonderfull dad and realise she's still a lucky lady to have you both in her life ... you've tried soft soaking it ... and it isn't working .. if you could give her a reality check and get her into councilling.... that would be huge ... she's lucky your wonderful dad hasn't given up .. because then she won't only loose a daughter .. but risk loosing everyone ...

    I say this because l know how crule cancer is ... it wants to destroy everyone ... it wants us to give up ... and never smile again ... sometimes we need gentle truth ... no mater what her son in law did or didn't do, that's life and no one is perfect ... but he's got little ones to bring up .. he must be hurting too .. he needs all your support ... as do their children ... it's your mum's choice what ever she does .. but it's not fare or right to make everyone else take sides ... 

    Sending you and dad and all those that are hurting a big vertual hug... start pulling together, instead of being pulled apart ... I'm sure your sisters heart would brake seeing what's happened ...

    Chrissie

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