Feel sick before the funeral

Hello all. This is my first post so not too sure if this is a question or more of a rant!?

My mum passed away 2 days before last Christmas and while everything was as peaceful and comforting as possible. I got to my mums house while she was already in the shutting down phase and she did make a noise as if she recognised me when I arrived there where no more words able to come out. The hardest part was having my 2 year old daughter with us. I needed my partner but she was looking after our bundle of joy down the road at my sisters house. She passed away that night as we rubbed her back and held her hand. Then the task of Christmas was upon us as we tried to scrape together what was left in the super markets as we all knew that  she would have wanted us to be together and enjoy the new obnoxiously noisy gifts that where given to our daughter while staring at my mothers unopened presents under the tree. Time has gone on and we did have a family funeral in January which did give some closure however my sister had decided we would do a celebration of life with extended family and friends when it would be her birthday and the weather would be nicer in the meadow where her ashes where put under a tree. 

So the time has come. It is next week and I feel sick. was wondering if it’s normal to feel like this. I wake up I feel fine. I get to work I feel sick. After a while when I concentrate on the task at hand I get out of it. Until I go home I start to feel sick again. It seems every time I get faced with any responsibility my body just wants to run away. Is this normal? I love my wife and I love munch daughter so I know i wouldn’t but every day the same feeling is there. 

  • Hello Don25.    Everyone has their own ideas about marking the passing of a loved one; the most common being a funeral of some sort or another in the weeks following the decease.  It is part of the grief process to have a ritual at which all the sorrows and regrets come to the fore and everyone feels free to cry and let their feelings flow.  But again some people have a further kind of ritual once the funeral has taken place and I think some people find it rather unsettling as it brings the part of grief usually associated with the funeral to the fore again.  Not everyone is affected the same way but depending on how individuals have been managing their grief it can undo some of the grieving work that has already been done.  I don't mean to say that people have done all their grieving in a set period of time but it can mean that the grieving cycle is disrupted.  This may explain why you are feeling this way.    I am guessing it might cause some family problems if you choose not to go to the celebration but I am betting that you may not be the only person feeling this way; maybe you can make an early exit if is upsets you. You could tactfully explain to your sister that you are feeling upset and that it is not a reflection on her planning.  Best wishes.  Annie