Family after losing mum

Hi , this is so difficult but here goes.
My best friend, my mum :heart: passed away 3rd January 2021.
A week before i looked after at home . I messaged both my sisters, to keep them up to date on her condition.
My younger sister had covid so couldnt visit and the other sister lived some distance away.
My younger sister lives on the same street as my parents .
All my life ive been close to both parents, gone on holiday, took them to hospital appointments etc . Always classed as “favourite child” we all joked about this .
My younger sister rang me a few days before mum went in hospital. She screamed at me about bombarding her with messages about mum . She accused me of always being the favourite and taking over .
She told me she hated me, there was a lot of nasty things she said . When mum passed, she blamed me for not letting anyone visit mum .
Both my sisters refused to organise the funeral. They dont speak to me . My younger sister said mum had told her that i shouted all the time at mum and mum was jealous if i went out with friends .
Sorry im rambling on . Theres so many issues .
I feel cheated that as a family growing up i thought we were close, she has tarnished my memories, i cant grieve with sisters . :broken_heart: my dad doesnt say anything about it .

3 Likes

I’m so sorry for the loss of your mum, @Ruby13. Sadly, family issues like this aren’t unusual after losing a loved one. I’m just giving your thread a gentle, “bump” - hopefully someone will be along to share their thoughts.

Hi Ruby So sorry for your loss, I’ve just lost my best friend, my mum and didn’t speak to my sister for 5 years as I felt she didn’t do enough for my mum. We reconnected at the funeral and have connected again, we’ll never be best friends but if I see her in the street at least we don’t have to avoid each other
My point is, have you ever tried to get together as a family and talk things through? I hope I haven’t offended you, I’m very raw and akl over the place :heart:

Hi cheryl, thanks for you’re reply . Sorry for your loss x
I have tried on numerous occasions to speak with my sister, to ask why she said the things, she does not want to talk about it . She says its done now . But i need an explanation why .
She said very hurtful and untrue things .
I didn’t deserve any of it .
Ive always put other people first, my family of 2 sisters and 1 brother , their children and of course my mum and dad
Ive never asked for anything in return nor have i expected anything.
I do out of the goodness of my heart, i get great pleasure by helping others especially family . Nothing was wver questioned before mum passed. We did however all joke about the fact mum and dad always looked to me for advice or help . Joking i was the favourite child x
I have met with her on a few occasions but there is always akward silences.

What can you say to that Ruby, hopefully one day you and your sister my one day reconcile, it took me and mine 5 years, but in the meantime you’ll have to carry on knowing that you always tried, and you are the better person for it. Also we have something in common, I was my mum’s favourite, I think only the two of us knew it, except I remember my brother saying once, look at them two, thick as thieves. Sending love to you :heart:

Hi @Ruby13
I can relate sadly, mine sitaution is sort of similar to yours. i have 2 sisters who sadly i have to say were sort of estranged because since my dad passed away at age of 13 and they were already married and had kids live their own lives and both do live close by. which was over 15 yrs ago. since my dad passed away i remember how much numb mum and i was young and i had to grow up quickly, mum didnt know how to run the financial side of the house so things like funeral costs, bills and taxes. it was all me and my sisters both older than me had refused to help out towards costs etc. its when i realised i had whos there and who isnt and saw my family members for its true colours.

my sisters were living in their own homes with familes, they believed as i loved with mum that it was my duty to help like seriously me a 13 yr old ?. fast forward the years my mum being a widow has always supported both her daughters i,e cooking food for them and their family nearly every day, me picking their kids from school etc.

then suddenly mum stroke 3 yras left her paralysed as well as dementia and whole list of medical conditions. i was her carer since my dad died and washer full time carer in the sense in the last 3 years as she needed carers, nurses to tend to her her needs were complex. i was there for every day and when she died December last year it was sudden. my whole world crashed completely, my sisters were insensistive they said they do not want to pay for funeral and said to me that me as a younger sister to take care of it as they believe its not place since they have own family and own lives to get on with. the worst part was that i was left dealing with mum and her finacial mess. i feel quote resentful as she had always been there for my sisters and her grandkids but always depend on me taking her hospital/doctors appts etc where her other daughters didnt. its not fair i felt i could grieve properly without worrying money the house stress etc . it was too much. i’m quite sad that i thought after my dad passed that atleast in her funeral they would step up but they never did. infact my sisters said after her funeral not to contact them for any support or visit them. i mean its ironic because they were never there when my mum and dad was ill and never gave any emotional or finacial support yet theyre trying hard to isolate me even further from them during this difficult where my mum has passed over 2 months and i been crying at home alone was difficult and when i call them they would berate for me disturbing them and say you need to deal with her and yo issues yourself and not come to us, when i all i wanted was to sit with my family grieve together and not feel alone.

i’ve been told that bereavement brings the family together if anything it drove us further apart. i can never understand it then or now and sometimes I feel I could die of heartbreak, im so sad and in shock in both of my sister behaviour that they would treat their younger sister like this.

for me i am still grieiving and im trying to get support on waitling list for talking therapies and try to keep my self busy. i been journaling lately just write my thougts down, thats been helpful and i hope that could also be helpful to you too.

im sorry for the long message. i just hope maybe your able to talk to your dad some day to talk about your feelings about this and maybe your sisters. family issues are complex its hard path to navigate just like grief. just take it easy and do it one step at a time. im not really great for advice but i really hope your situation gets better for you all.