Thanks, all of you, for your kind words.
Axelle,
I wasn't sure you caught what I was feeling until the end of your post. I was wrong, it hit it spot on. Thanks for sharing your experience and defining it well. I had tried for a long time to tell myself it didn't matter, but it really did.
Aunt Sandy,
Thanks for your thoughtful advice. There is some anger there, and a whole lot of other feelings too. I will worry about expressing anything after my mother gets through the funeral. It isn't until Tuesday. Meanwhile, letting her cry and try to be here when she is trying to sort through her thoughts out loud is strange but I think helpful.
My dad died the way he wanted, at home and without a lingering illness. That much brings comfort in some ways. It just left my mother very unprepared.
Jay,
You hit the fighting thing alright. My sister, same night dad died, told me and my other sister that a house they have is being transferred to her oldest son. My mother says her(my mother's) name is on the deed and that this is not true. My dad wanted me to have it but she isn't sure what she is going to do with it yet. My sister that did this has tried to have the whole farm left to her oldest.
The pettiness of her doing that and insisting on it the last 2 days is disheartening. There is no will and my nephew has cost them a lot of money over the years. I think my mother gets the whole kit and kaboodle and can do what she wants with it. That nephew and my mother are not on the best terms but she doesn't hate him. So why all this worry about something that my mom wants to sort out after she has taken care of bills, taxes, legal junk, selling the farm, etc.
Uh oh, this is turning into a rant. You have just touched on the one thing making this more difficult than it needs. I really do thank you for understanding and your kind thoughts.
I'm glad to have all of you to share with.
Randi, you also had some great advice and I totally agree with it. You expressed well some of the things happening in few words. (A talent I don't have) Thanks