When Death Brings Out the Worst: Family Fighting After a Death

Understanding Grief / Understanding Grief : Litsa Williams


Death brings out the best and worst in families. Working with patients and families at the end-of-life, we've seen behavior that runs all along the spectrum.  And though we love to celebrate positive, warm-fuzzy, supportive, interactions, today we're going to spend a little time talking about family fighting after a death.

When otherwise amicable friend groups and families fight after a death, it can feel like a secondary loss. You're trying to cope with the death of your loved one, and suddenly your support system is not only unsupportive but a source of additional stress. 

If this has been your experience, please know that you are not alone.  Not even close!  So many people can relate to family fighting after a death.  What’s the number one source of conflict? You guessed it, fighting over material possessions. 

As hard as it is for many of us to admit, countless families who never imagine there would be conflict over material things are suddenly overwhelmed by disagreement over estates and belongings.


Common Material Conflicts:

When to begin sorting through belongings.  Some people are ready right away, some people want more time before sorting through items.

Who gets what.  Especially when there is not a will, but even when there is a will, there are often many household items or sentimental objects that are not accounted for. 

What to keep and what to give away.  Attachment to objects can vary greatly from person to person.  While one person may want to save every Tupperware container and tube of chapstick that mom ever owned, other family members may be quick to toss those items in the trash.

Whether to keep or sell a house.  Houses can have tremendous sentimental value, making them something many family members don’t want to part with.  Houses can also hold tremendous value, making them something many family members may want to sell right away.

Money money money.  Whether it is scraping together money to pay for a funeral, or dividing up bank accounts and investments without a will for clear guidance, money can quickly become a sore spot.

family fighting after a death 2

Additional sources of conflict:

There are many other sources of strain and conflict that can arise for families.  There is no way I could cover them all here, but some other common conflicts are:

Disagreements about treatment at the end of life.  Conflict can begin even before a loved one dies when families disagree about goals of care, withdrawing support at the hospital, and caregiving responsibilities.

Arrangements.  Questions like whether someone will be buried or cremated, where will the service be held, where will they be buried, etc. can bring surprising strife between family members.

Relocating.  After a death, it is not uncommon that people may move, either by choice or out of necessity.  This can split a family geographically and be devastating for those who feel left behind.

Custody.  When death results in children who must be cared for, conflict can arise around who will get custody of the children if this was not predetermined.

Different grieving styles.  We all grieve in different ways and on different timelines.  When people are grieving differently this can be a major source of conflict within families.  This is especially common if one family member thinks another is not as impacted by the death or they are ‘moving on’ too quickly.


How to cope with family fighting after a death:

I wish we had an easy solution to solve all conflict. If we did, we'd probably be busy making the rounds on Oprah and Dr. Phil.  Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. All we can provide a little insight into why these conflicts may arise and a few suggestions to cope.

The Brain
Did you know that when people experience stress, their brains actually work differently? It's true!  I don't want to get bogged down in neuroscience, but all you really need to know is this: there are parts of our brain that think rationally and there are parts of our brain that think more on impulse and emotion. 

When someone is in a heightened state due to a stressful or traumatic event, it is harder to think with the rational part of the brain so they default to using the emotional parts of their brain. These are the parts that struggle with reasoning, memory, and long-term thinking.

Ultimately, when multiple people, under stress, acting from a place of emotion interact, conflicts can arise.

Control
Experiences related to death and grief often make people feel a loss of control.  As CS Lewis said, “No one ever told me grief felt so like fear”.  This change, loss of control, and loss of stability can be terrifying. 

During this time certain family members may seek to regain a sense of control any way they can.  They may try to plan the funeral without getting anyone else’s input. They may decide they immediately want to sort through belongings. They may try to exert control over other family members grief and coping. 

Helping another family member to have a sense of control, while communicating how their actions are making others feel, can be helpful.  If control seems to be a driving factor, other family members may be able to help guide this person’s energy into things that would be useful and that may cause less family strife.

Communication
Communication (or lack thereof) can be a key issue that leads to conflict.  If a plan isn’t made for who, when, and how certain things will be handled, it is not uncommon for one person to go rogue. Communicating isn’t always easy, but it is crucial to reducing conflict. 

If at all possible, make a plan right away for how and when things will be handled.  Agree on a time frame to all sit down together to go over the will, discuss next steps, and ensure everyone is on the same page.  Make a plan for regular updates and communication between family members.

If it is too late for proactive planning, focus on giving feedback and getting back on track. Keep in mind that emotions are running high, so it is especially important to communicate effectively.  Try to avoid accusatory statements.  Instead, focus on expressing your own experience. 

This is the old “use 'I' statements instead of 'you' statements” trick.  So, for example, instead of saying, “I can’t believe you threw away mom’s clothes without talking to me first.  You are so self-centered and thoughtless”.  Instead, you could say, “I was really hurt when you threw away mom’s clothes without talking to me first.  It made me feel like you didn’t care about my grief or my attachment to those things.”.  

By focusing on the behavior, how it made you feel, and the impact you can hopefully open a dialogue without making the other person defensive.  Also, be open to their feedback.  You probably haven't been perfect either, so try to openly listen to what they need from you.

Generalizing the Negative
Try not to generalize or globalize negative behaviors to condemn the person on a whole.  For example, you and cousin John have been close for 35 years and you think he is a great guy.  After the death of your grandmother, he seems selfishly fixated on getting ownership of her car. You are outraged and appalled, so you think to yourself, “Wow, I always thought John was a good person.  Now I see him for what he really is.  I can’t believe I never realized how greedy he is”.  All of a sudden everything else John does is clouded by your new-found realization that John is a shady, greedy troll.

Timeout.  Let’s take a few steps back here.  Grief makes us all do crazy, sometimes crappy, things that we often regret.  It is important to cut people (and ourselves) some slack.  People do all sorts of awful stuff when they grieve, so view these things as poor choices due to an impossible time in life.  It doesn’t override the 10, 15, 35, or 50 years of wonderful things you know about the person.  Try to remember that this may be the exception in their behavior, not the rule.  Just like you need to be gentle and forgiving with yourself, you need to be gentle and forgiving with others.

One final tip - Mediation
If there is truly no managing the conflict on your own, there are professional mediators who can help.  They can work with your family to get through the basic logistics. They are trained professionals and you may just find some time with them can help you better understand each other.


Here are a few additional posts related to this topic that you may find helpful:

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281 Comments on "When Death Brings Out the Worst: Family Fighting After a Death"

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  1. Margaret  July 29, 2022 at 3:35 pm Reply

    Love this Post! What I’ve discovered is the point at which you stroll into a family contention and individuals let you know it’s about guideline don’t reach out. There is something else to life besides standards.

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  2. Herbert  January 9, 2022 at 5:59 am Reply

    Expensive funerals for first generation Chinese in America everybody attends, but later not every relative is even invited. People make-up.

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  3. TONYA MOOTRY  December 18, 2021 at 2:26 am Reply

    My mother recently passed away December 10 2021 mom lived with my daughter cause my mom and I simply cannot live together we’ve tried. My daughter made all medicinal decisions and when it came time for final services she took over as well she wont even allow me to get my moms belongings she refuses to let me have any access to what money there was from her monthly benefits to pay for a celebration of life she even went and filled out a applacation for help with cremation and didnt qualify now there is no money for her celebration cause we had to pay outta pocket for cremantion I fell very robbed of my god given right to finalize peace for my mom am I wrong for not wanting to attend the services?

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    • Sage  December 2, 2022 at 2:10 am Reply

      I feel the same, my mom had a terrible relationship with my stepfather and sister the last few years of her life. When she got sick they slowly cut me off and blocked me from calling them when she died. They took over and didnt allow me to be involved in the planning of her funeral and not only cut me off but my sister’s kids who are 10-20 years older than mine began bullying my daughter when she was overwhelmed with grief during my Mom’s final days in her physical body and chose not to go back to the hospital. My stepfather has only talked about money since she died, and refused to share any info on her funeral including the funeral home. I decided as things were progressing that I likely would not attend the funeral or wake, for this reason and honestly I dont want to see my Mom ravished by cancer, Ive seen enough death with my Dad and Aunt so Im not sure if this is reasonable since she was closer to me than they were. I feel terrible that I lost my Mom but they are making it much worse. The only thing I blame myself for is that I had faith in them and that I was too honest and told them I was frustrated and felt alienated. Hence no calls or action to help us reconcile on their end.

  4. Rhian Pierce-Jones  November 3, 2021 at 6:40 pm Reply

    I know that death is inevitable but the fall-out is something else entirely.

    My mother died February 2020. It now seems like a lifetime ago, and yet I miss her more with each passing month. How is that possible? Meanwhile my father is fast approaching his 94th birthday. We were a ‘relatively’ close family, but I think that was due to my mother’s active involvement and constant monitoring.

    In May 2021 I quit my job to return to my country of origin to spend time (five months) with my father. The only feedback I received rom my two siblings was “STAY, you have a life over THERE…no need to return.’ My third sibling, the baby of the family, has been incommunicado since early 2020

    I believe my family is fractured beyond repair. When I look back I see that the hairline cracks and faults developed many years ago – they’re now deep chasms. I often wonder if my mother’s strong wish for all of us to be “closer” was belied by her on-going game of ‘playing favorites.’

    My younger brother has a seemingly strong relationship with his partner and I am expendable. My older brother has developed strong ties with one of our cousins and yet we, as siblings, hardly ever communicate. We all gravitate to the people who play a significant role in our lives, while ‘fringe players’ are easily sacrificed as collateral damage.

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  5. H  October 8, 2021 at 4:27 am Reply

    An excellent article that I will be sharing with my own dysfunctional and fighting family these days after our father’s/husband’s/brother’s/etc….death.

    My Dad died a few days ago and it has been rough. There are DEFINITELY different grieving styles and some of us have a very negative history, so it has been a bit of a boiler pot.

    That said, the only thing that bothers me about your article is the car analogy you chose to use. It comes off as a bit judgmental about the “crazy”, “crappy”, and “awful” behavior that Cousin John is exhibiting towards the grandmother’s car and his desire to have it. Cousin John was clearly expressing himself and may have been awkward about it, but there is nothing crazy, crappy or awful that I can see with a person standing up for their needs. And clearly, he needs it on some level for it to have been made into such a big deal. He is operating from a place of fear, that he will not get this important tie to his Grandmother. This tie may seem stupid to others, but it is very real and valid to him.

    I am actually going through something very similar during this grieving process with my own family. Because of past tensions that escalated at my Dad’s bedside, the offer for me to use his brand new truck while I was in town was rescinded among a bevy of excuses.

    Now, backstory. My Dad left our family for another woman when I was 10. Yes, yes, yes, I’m sure there were other “extenuating circumstances” and all that, but the fact remains this was what he did and it ended our parent’s marriage and family unit. And, it was incredibly traumatic for us left behind. These are all facts. At 10, you are really starting to retain some memories, so I have quite a few painful recollections from that time. My Dad also made no secret about what an inconvenience child support (or really anything that required him to give us money) was for him. My now-single, working Mom, my brother and I rolled around in a busted car (the door had to be bungee-corded shut) while my Dad had the nice new shiny car (that he never let anyone else drive, including me when I wanted to practice for my license). In fact, even though my Dad apparently had such a hard time affording child support, I couldn’t help but notice even at that age how many nice, expensive things he had for himself. As a child, this is confusing. As an adult, this is bullshit.

    So, I would like to drive my dead father’s car (as was promised to me by my father’s wife for as long as I needed it). I would like to take this beautiful, brand-new car-smell truck and drive it a full 7-day week as I go to visit my also aging, grieving and lonely mother who is 5 hours away. She has been mentioning she needs to find someone with a truck to help her haul stuff for God knows how long. I live 2 states away, and have a family that I can’t leave for extended periods of time, so it is hard for me to come up and help her (as it was to also help my Dad). I have already driven the truck a few times after having to beg for it after a family argument, only to have it taken away again as soon as my Dad died.

    I am angry. I am hurt. I feel betrayed. I want to not only use this truck to help my mom potentially (if she agrees to help), but I actually enjoyed my very brief rides in it!! We never had such nice cars growing up. I don’t have as nice of car even now at 44! In my brief rides, I would let my imagination take over and my Dad was well, we had repaired our relationship and it was good, he was sitting in the passenger seat (he was unable to drive the last few years of his life) and we were listening to CCR like we did when I was a small child riding around with my Dad in an orange Volkswagon bus with orange and white gingham curtains. In this little fantasy I played in my head as I drove down the highway to my Dad’s home, we would be on our way to some outdoor adventure (my Dad was a HUGE outdoorsman) and it would be a fun road trip (I am a HUGE road trip fan) for both my Dad and I. It was a very enjoyable fantasy for me and therapeutic.

    As a depressed and anxious teen, I would often get in my car and drive along winding mountain roads. These drives in nature, listening to music with the window down calmed me and made me feel some sense of peace and allowed me time to think about all that was going on in my life and how hurt it made me and how I should handle it and behave and especially, how to be good since it seemed I was always being called out for being selfish and ungrateful. As a child, this terribly hurt me. As an adult, this pisses me off.

    Guess what??? All teenagers are selfish and ungrateful little shits at some point!!! How do I know this? Not only was I a teen that had selfish and ungrateful behavior at times, but I also have MY OWN 15-year old girl! I know all about selfishness and ingratitude, BUT, I don’t say this to her. I don’t tell her she is selfish and ungrateful because I know that would hurt her and not be helpful. This type of behavior is normal and natural during this stage of a human’s development and it is up to the parent to suck it up and do the right thing and be the adult, firm but kind to the child and using these moments to help the child learn how to handle things better. Teach the child to be more kind, not by yelling at them, but by trying to understand their point of view. The child has a ton of hormones and emotions going already. They already feel so badly and insecure about themselves. They do not need a parent to constantly tell them how selfish and ungrateful they are when they express their hurt and anger at the neglect and abuse they receive.

    Anyway, that is my rant. Would love some insight on this one. I’m going to try and extend an olive branch to those I fought with as my Dad was dying, but I am afraid they will not accept it and will insist on keeping the truck for whatever reason I can not imagine for I have told them repeatedly I will do anything that is needed (in fact, I already did. I got the tabs on the damn thing for $100 to help out) if they would just let me use the truck until this following weekend.

    If I must beg, I will. If I must send a family-wide email to ask for help mediating this situation, I will. I am open to discussion about concerns or previous plans for the truck (last I was offered, it was totally open, but hey, things change). I will not, however, be open to someone withholding this truck out of spite. So, that is the hill I plan on dying on. This is so very important to me on so many different levels and not because I am trying to “win” or whatever other bullshit people think I’m doing. I’m just trying to grieve the loss of a father who I have so many conflicted emotions about. I’m just tired of fighting. Can someone please help me?

    As a final note, should all this go completely sideways and the truck is refused to me, I have a backup plan. I am prepared for the family vote (God, I hope it doesn’t come to that) to come back “no”, but then it will be so much easier for me to really cut the wheat from the chaff from my family for once and all. Not a threat. I just want to be respected and treated with compassion, patience and understanding. I want my family to have my back ONE TIME during this shitty shitty time. And if they don’t, well, I’ve been taking things day by day these days, so I will make no permanent declarations, but I will do some serious contemplation if these are people that add joy to my life and who I can count on or not. And I encourage them to ask themselves the same question about me. I’m ready to bury my pain with my father and move forward into brighter, more positive days. Whoever wants to share in that type of positive relationship with mutual support and respect of each other is welcome to join me. So, what do you all think? The voting polls are now open.

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    • Emily  January 30, 2023 at 4:49 pm Reply

      Excellent post, and I’m so sorry for your loss.

      I think when the author said (paraphrasing) “Uncle John is acting ‘crappy’ over the car…” they were trying to explain those feelings are broad generalizations that others may make about him, and that we need to give people grace and understand that when people pass, all the moving pieces are complicated and we don’t always communicate clearly.

      John is worried about what will happen to the car… He’s grieving too and wants to maintain part of the legacy of a person he loved … That’s part of his grief process.

      When we take people’s hardest moments, over judge and characterize them as “just crappy”, we aren’t being compassionate in understanding that John (or you, and others in this situation) is grieving too, this is how that person is processing it. It’s not about wanting things, it’s about missing someone you love and wanting a part of them… Or at least making sure their possessions (which are linked to your memory of them) are not sold to a stranger or thrown in the trash.

      God Bless 🕊️💕

  6. Emily  September 11, 2021 at 3:57 am Reply

    My dear wonderful mother recently unexpectedly passed away. I am heartbroken. We were so close and she was a huge huge part of my life and that of my husband and our son, her grandson. The loss has been so shocking and I am in extreme pain and anguish. We have been unable to find my mothers will and now my estranged half sister is going to take me to probate. She was emancipated as a teenager (to be hurtful to my mother) and a few years ago they had a huge fight. My mother told my half sister she disowned her and said to my sister you are dead to me. Ironically, ever since then I had played devils advocate for my half sister and every once in a while I would ask my mother if she would consider a reconciliation. Although, I also have been estranged for even longer and I wanted nothing to do with my half sister for separate reasons. My mothers answer was a definite NO every time I asked if she would consider letting my half sister back into her life a little.

    She had barely passed on 24 hours before my half sister cruelly started demanding a will and kept trying to get me into financial discussions that I was not comfortable with or concerned about. She wanted to be involved in arrangements but refused to help financially, which I told her I was ok with. Instead of being involved the way she led me to believe she has just made it impossible to move forward with my mothers cremation. Now I’m not only hurt but I’m stressed out over unresolved death arrangements too. It’s made even more difficult because my mother is one of many victims of cv19. I was working on a eulogy to honor her now it’s looking like there wont even be a service at all. It’s just blow after blow to my heart.

    I just lost my mother and the foundation shift from it is so incredibly painful. I love her so much and I’m going to miss her so much. It’s not my first loss so I know grief very well but I never expected to be so lonesome that all I can do is weep. I have a mom shaped hole in my heart that I’m going to live with for the rest of my days. All I can do is give thanks and praise for the wonderful memories that I have. I mourn the most because I am so devastated but I also mourn so deeply for my son who misses his grandma so much. It is impossibly hard to explain to a five year old why he cant die so he can go see grandma in heaven. It’s sad what death can do to the survivors left behind. I have lost the best source of wisdom kindness and genuine goodness I had from my family of origin.

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    • Litsa  September 14, 2021 at 7:51 am Reply

      I am so sorry for what you are going through and that family strain has made it even more difficult. Please remember that, even if you can’t honor her with a service now in the way that you would like, there is no limit on when you can have a memorial. You can do something much later, maybe next year at her birthday or the anniversary of her death. There is no easing the pain of this immense loss, but it sounds as though both her wisdom and goodness are things she has passed on to you.

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  7. Pam  August 31, 2021 at 9:41 am Reply

    Unbelievable things happen after a death. My husband and I were together 32 years, today is our 14 anniversary. He died Dec.25, 2020. Three days later my stepson sued me. He has money, he just wanted to harass me. He came from Europe to see his father and spent 2 hours of a whole week. It seems the rest of the time he was at the lawyers preparing the lawsuit instead of spending time with his father.

    The suit is filled with allegations that are not true. We have won part of it. For example he said his brother told him he was cut out of the will, and he wasn’t. But it’s unbelievably expensive on top of it. The older brother is most like his dad amd has been supportive. He has the least. The middle one supports the youngest in the lawsuit.

    His father would be heartbroken to know they is treating me this way. And I helped them all through out my time with their dad. My heart was already broken but now there is such a weight on me because of this lawsuit.

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  8. Corinne Wells  August 14, 2021 at 5:40 am Reply

    My dad passed away 16th June 2021 and I saw it all coming . My sister has always been money hungry and borrowed and taken from others. And our relationship hasn’t ever been simple but because she is my sister, I’ve always tried! But enough is enough when my dad was alive he told me somethings and since he has passed away I’ve seen exactly the things he said happen, so I felt I had to say something as I can’t sit back and pretend I don’t see! Well that didn’t go down well!! My aunties haven’t supported me in the slightest but have had horrible things to say about what they truly think of me. I’ve asked to see bank activity of my dads account because since my sister had took his phone from the hospice the day he died, she was on his online banking. She has been sending herself money so I’ve asked to see proof of this activity. I also have felt totally left out with planning anything and my aunties have said I am.acting like a spoilt child and how my life is fake…I read a poem at my dads funeral that was part of a song and parts I had changed to fit the circumstances and I read it as a poem at my dads funeral, my auntie said my whole life is fake just like the poem I read at my dads funeral … who even says that? I think sometimes family shouldn’t even be your family and I’ve decided to walk away …I’ve hardly been involved in the clearing of my dads house because all they want is for me to clean for them so I’ve said NO and I’m leaving them all to it and I will raise any concerns with the bank…there is more to the story but I can’t even be bothered to get into it…peace and love to you all

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  9. Unknown  July 14, 2021 at 11:32 pm Reply

    When I was a kid my sister died. At that time I didn’t understand what happened and why my parents were so sad and where was my sister, but now when I have grown up I understand everything my parents felt that day

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  10. Courtney DeGraves  June 7, 2021 at 8:53 am Reply

    Our dear brother passed last year after a lengthy illness. Since his passing, his wife rarely brings his kids to visit us and our family is missing them terribly. My big brother recently found out that his wife used the college fund that our departed brother set up for the kids to buy a new car and get plastic surgery. She keeps trying to fix her face but will never be able to repair the black hole of hate that consumes her insides. My big brother is also extremely angry at the fact that she was having an affair with the next door neighbor while our dear brother was in hospice. He is so angry that he bought over 300 custom signs detailing her vile behavior and he is going to have a crew of people place them all over her neighborhood and the surrounding area in a few weeks. I am pleading with him to try to stop it because we don’t want the kids to find out that their only remaining parent is a monster. My brother says they already know based on what they have said to him and they can’t stand to be in the same room with her because she’s drunk every night now. I hope he changes his mind about the signs but I don’t think he will because he is furious.

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  11. Margaret Osmond  June 3, 2021 at 10:18 pm Reply

    This afternoon I found myself in a power struggle with my sister over my father’s hospital bed. He’s dying of brain cancer, isn’t even dead yet, and we’re arm wrestling over who daddy loves best. I can see it all, I can see my part in is as a most despicable act of selfishness, and I can see that this is a situation I cannot make better. The most loving thing I can do right now is to step back, get out of the way, and let healthier people take care of each other. That’s not easy to admit. But it is necessary. Right now I’m destructive.

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    • Corinne wells  August 14, 2021 at 5:28 am Reply

      I am in the same situation after my dad passed away in June. My sister has taken control of pretty much everything and I’ve not really had any input to what happenes. I’m only valuable to her and the family when I am fetching and carrying and I refuse to do it anymore. My aunties have said vile things to me after my dads death with no care to how I feel… I noticed my sister took possession of my dads belongings and was on his online banking constantly, so I raised my concerns and it back fired! I’ve had to totally step back and remain strong within myself because I won’t be walked all over and I won’t be blind to what I see, my aunties said I am acting like a spoilt child at 34 and how my whole life is fake like the poem I read at my dads funeral?? Who even says that? My dad left no will so my sister isn’t entitled to help herself to money and his belongings and nor am I…

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      • Renae Lynn Unruh  June 7, 2022 at 1:36 pm

        I know how you feel. It’s a pain that can’t be described. I guess this stuff happens all the time. I have no family to turn to I’m homeless. And I 🙏 everyday GoD takes me away from the pain. REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE WILL STATES, YOU ARE ENTITLED.

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  12. Francis Young Byers  May 16, 2021 at 11:31 pm Reply

    Guess which family member abandoned her fatherless kids as soon as they turned 18, so she could move away to marry the meanest person west of the Rockies. My dad used to say they can spend 15,000 for a new bicycle, but they couldn’t spend a dollar to help that poor boy and his drunken mother. My dad told me everything. Cheapskates left our grandfather alone in a house with alzheimer’s. He forgot to eat and almost died. All she cared about was how much she was going to get. And a nursing home was just too expensive.

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  13. Sally Parker  April 19, 2021 at 5:39 pm Reply

    My father was heavily manipulated by ex wife he’d been divorced from for 40 years. She was and is extremely abusive, narcissistic and sadistic and to be anywhere at all around her would give me PTSD so bad. She has never been “mum” to me.

    Anyway, my dad got ill. Seriously ill. During this time I had no idea. Only after he had been firmly installed in a dirty urine smelling care home for a good time was I advised. I had made repeated attempts to contact him all of the while. The phone was put down on me every single time. I found out later she was doing it.

    I had been powerless to do anything and felt so helpless. I would get vicious poison pen letters and narcissistic abuse from this woman and it made me so sick I had no choice but to stay away.

    Now I learned just that my father died
    (via a very poisonous email) almost a year ago and not one person decided to let me know he was dying so I had a chance to see him, or inform me of his death. I am his only real next of kin and I was not allowed the chance to be involved in the planning of his funeral, and even worse I was completely denied the opportunity to attend or say goodbye.

    I cannot process this, it tears me apart. My dad would not have wanted this at all and I can’t believe anybody would do such an evil thing.

    I don’t think that I will ever get over this.

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  14. Nompumelelo Mahesu  March 16, 2021 at 11:14 pm Reply

    Hi…my mother died on January, 3 weeks after my mother’s death younger sister and aunt took my younger brother away without my permission, when I ask where he was going they said they are going for a visit..when they where supposed to come they didn’t only to find that my brother he’s now attending school that side saw the posts. So my problem is that I want my brother back..so what can I do….

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  15. Paula Simpson  March 4, 2021 at 5:38 pm Reply

    My mother in-law passed away nearly four weeks ago, 11 months after my father in-law passed away. My husband, up until recently, was the only sibling living in NZ, all the other were in Australia. He lived with his parents until I came along 8 or 9 years ago, he owned 1/3 of the home they lived in, which we bought approx 6.5 years ago, he had been in business with his father and also breed and showed dogs with his father.

    Since his mother’s death, his sister, who is the executor of the will (recently changed as my husband advised his mother there wasn’t any point being joint executor with his sister as she doesn’t speak to him, has changed the locks on the house that mum was renting off her. She won’t allow anyone except the other sister access into the house. Prior to mum passing, while mum was in hospital, the sister got the other sister, who is now living in NZ, to remove mum’s jewelry, which was left to the two of them in the will. My husband has been in contact with his siblings via voom meeting and e-mail and at no time was he told the house would be locked up. Now he has been advised that all mum’s clothes, all opened personal care products and unopened food will go to charity and all opened food and care products will be binned. We are gutted!!! We gave mum a lovely scarf for her birthday/mother’s day present that would be lovely to have back. There is also belongings of ours and in the house that we had lent mum that we would like back. We have e-mailed the sister and she has e-mailed back saying she will consider all requests. I don’t believe she has the right to make all these decisions even as executor. Don’t know what to do. My husband is grieving for both his parents, as am I as I had spent a lot of time with them over the last 5 years with their illnesses etc and I had sat with my mother inlaw for 2 weeks while she was in hospital before she passed as other family (their son and daughter) were working and the rest of the family were stuck in Australia due to Covid. My husband doesn’t want to make a fuss but still wants what he is entitled to. When my Grandma passed the whole family got to have stuff and what was left got donated not the other way round. Advice please.

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  16. Gail B  February 11, 2021 at 1:24 am Reply

    I’ve reached the point when I need a mediator, if only to have a relationship with my in-laws that is civil. There are discussions happening about my partner’s ( their child’s) ashes and belongings that need more help and empathy than we can give each other.

    Does anyone have any suggestions for how to find a mediator that works with families after a loss? Key search terms even? Trying to find a random one on the internet is making me anxious and overwhelmed. (I’m in Canada if that makes a difference for recommendations)

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    • Robin  February 25, 2021 at 9:48 am Reply

      My mother passed away 2 wks ago and my daughter had been staying with her well when my mother passed she had made me promise to stay in the family home and my brother is executor over the estate well everything is split down the middle. So the day After my brother and I buried our mother my daughter decides she’s going to move her boyfriend in with her till after probate and my mother wanted me living in the home but my daughter and her boyfriend started with my brother saying I wasn’t to be there till probate was over so now it is I and my mama’s dog out of my home and they are living in my mothers home till probate and that’s going to be 9 months what can be done?

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      • Amanda lewis  June 26, 2021 at 5:55 pm

        My moms younger brother passed away from liver problems and the death was unexpected but we were actually able to say goodbye before he passed even though he was not speaking or coherent to us but it’s been six months since he’s past and my mom keeps promising a get together for everyone within that six months but it still hasn’t got planned and I’ve been patient and supportive of her and the other siblings but right after his death they had there own little get together that didn’t include me and my brother as close as we were to my uncle but she don’t seem to think we have a right to say anything abt it but I feel after six months we do have a right I think it’s just self centered at this point and I finally just let her have it because it’s selfish to me and my brother that we weren’t included and keeps giving us lies and excuses to when a bigger one will take place but I also know my mom has always been one not to handle anything at all and she still doesn’t have to plan this she has other family that can do it but she keeps giving excuses so I’m done with it and gonna do my own thing

      • Corinne wells  August 14, 2021 at 5:30 am

        Leave them to it ! It isn’t worth the stress and heart ache

  17. Sarah Fitzpatrick  January 29, 2021 at 4:19 am Reply

    My siblings moved away over 25 years ago & both have sucessful careers & children & grandchildren , whereas I was a nurse & being the youngest i imovef close to my parents & gave up work to look after my dad when my mum died . I was overdrawn when my dad died so i worked as much as possible so i could afford to buy their share of my dads . 2 weeks after his funeral they changed the locks & said I was useless & got it valued . They don’t want me to buy it even though I’d always said id foster when i had a spare room . They havnt spoke to me & started legal preceding to evict me . I get upset as they have always been aggressive & money minded . I need to arrange a red book valuation & mortage offer within a month & im struggling to come to terms with losing my dad & my sister’s nastiness. She told a friend ” the sooner Sarah kills herself the better ” & i dont know anyobe who can help me re advise about thhe limited time to arrange a mortage . The house is in disrepair & i need a valuation that enables me to buy it as my mortgage provider says its not possible to arrange in a month . . & i feel like I’m going to die it hurts that much . I know i need 2 b stronger but I need advise .

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  18. Jules  October 20, 2020 at 7:14 pm Reply

    My dad passed in 2005, my mom in 2011 and we’re still fighting my crazy sister in court. We were told trust lawsuits could take up to 3 years, we filed in early 2015 and my sister had stretched it out until now. My mom’s trust was set up very well. My sister was the trustee but couldn’t handle anything. When she tried to move mom, who had Alzheimer’s, to an assisted living facility, we had it out. The place was below state standards and I could not see putting mom there. She was so sweet and never complained so she wouldn’t have been able to tell us if she was being neglected. I had previously taken the checkbook from my idiot sister so she had no choice. And I took it because my mon’s living trust had been stolen from idiot’s car while she was away for the weekend having fun. I knew how irresponsible she was, but this was beyond stupid. She had no reason to take the trust out of the house.

    Well, to make a really, really long story short, there were 7 of us. Four of us sued to have her removed from the trust and we succeeded, mostly because she was so wrong and because one of my brothers is an attorney. We couldn’t have afforded it otherwise. Mom’s trust explicitly stated that if a beneficiary was trustee, he or she would NOT be paid, could not pay themselves for being trustee. Of course she did and had to pay every penny back.

    We’re still in court because of idiot sister. Our other beautiful, incredible sister passed away last year. It hit us all hard and we agreed to use trust funds for her services. Now idiot says she never agreed to the expenses, all the while claiming she loved our sister best. And…even though my beautiful sister wanted to be cremated, idiot insisted on having her body shipped across the country and then having her cremated. Idiot caused so many unnecessary expenses and now is disputing them. We’re exhausted, but we carry on.

    My advice to some of you is to seek out free legal help whenever you can. Law libraries often hold once or twice a year events where they give free advice. Your local library may have information on similar events.

    Also if a relative starts making decisions about a loved one, demand to see their durable power of attorney. That might scare them into backing away a bit.

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  19. Tricia  October 5, 2020 at 10:56 pm Reply

    My 25 yo daughter was murdered by her boyfriend who had declared he loved her. Family in complete shock. 42 days after the murder, her fathers sister ( aunt) informed me, the mom, that my daughter had been killed at 930 pm; the murderering monster cried for one hour then left the hotel room.
    The detective had not shared any of this info which made me, the mom, start to think the aunt Might have been in contact with the murderers family. Found out the aunt had in fact had contact from murderers mother and the aunt’s husband sent the info to the detective without notifying the mother of the victim.
    I addition the same aunt told others she notified the mom and got approved to be the beneficiary of the go fund me account for funeral expenses, which was not true.
    Then the aunt told the victims mom about designing a domestic violence shirt to sell with the face of the homocide victim on it on day 41 following the murder. The mother found out on day 21 the aunt had sent out the design to the victims best friends and never consulted the mother.
    Once the Aunt was told by the victims mother to shut down the go fund me page on day 41, then she found out about the t shirt. The mother asked for family and friends phone numbers in order to send thank you cards and find addresses but the aunt refused and accused the mother of attacking her when the mother asked her to not put the daughters face on t shirts. You see the victim loved kids and was well known by hundreds of children in the community and their parents did not want the kids aware of the domestic homocide.
    In the end, the mother is on medication, seeking psychiatric and professional counseling and this aunts action have made the grief process for the mother and immediate family considerably more difficult with all her lies and deception to contend with , in lieu of no remorse indicated.

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  20. In-Law/Out-Law  September 17, 2020 at 2:21 pm Reply

    My in-laws were wonderful people and very fair. One sibling struggled with ‘failure to launch’ and always needed more support, call them A. When my father-in-law became terminally ill, one of the siblings, B, that the home should be left to sib A. Parents didn’t agree and everything split 4 ways after both parents passed. When that happened, Sib B did their best to stall the dividing of the estate so Sib A could live in the house with bills all paid by the parent’s bank account. We negotiated at a snail’s pace for almost 3 years. My spouse was very ill and the other Sib was too intimidated by Sib B to take action so I said that I would be the bad guy in-law and threatened a partition lawsuit because my priority is my family. After 3 years of being called greedy it is settled but Sib A has disowned us and Sib B has minimal contact. Sib A had health problems later and the whole estate would have ended up going to doctor bills before Medicaid would kick in anyway so it would have been all for nothing. A cousin asked Sib B if the parents would have liked this ..they said no but it didn’t matter. Sib B super controlling, was going to have their way on the parents’ Will after they died no matter what they wanted. Very disrespectful.

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  21. Andrea Blevins  August 28, 2020 at 10:13 pm Reply

    My dad just passed, COVID allowed my sister to keep me away from everything, because they just took her word for it. Dad set up a simple trust 50/50, both set for life, but from the time he got sick, she’s cut me out, my niece is squatting in my dads house, the funeral was soo awful and no one knew because she threw it soo quickly so she could grab what she wanted and head back to Indiana. I’ve been threatened that if I go on “MY” property I’ll be arrested, the courts and her attorney will be contacting me, but I know #1 if you’ve got an attorney you’re not to speak directly to me, #2 it’s civil so the courts won’t do anything since I haven’t broken any laws. She’s withheld my copies of the death certificate and trust, and my niece forged my sisters name on the certified letter, and not even her legal name. We’re at a loss! I’ve ordered the death certificate so I know I’ll have more rights then, but to get the attorney I need is going to be $4k+, and what’s sad is I know that my sisters bankrupt and won’t be able to afford an attorney! It’s soo frustrating to know what my dad did for us and to know that we might miss out on major benefits due to her greed and lack of care! My dad was a Vietnam vet, retired from the SRP/Navajo Generating Staion after 40yrs, and then the Glen Canyon Dam/BLM after 10yrs, so we’ve got soo many amazing benefits that if I don’t find a solution soon, it’s going to be sickening! Thx for listening ??

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  22. Michael Boone  August 13, 2020 at 5:35 am Reply

    My dad past away may 2,of last year and he was divorced from my mom she left it to him she went off and got married twice they have been divorced 20 years.Im the youngest .my two brothers sighed her back in from there parts.they was no will and she thinks she ownes all of this and told me I eathere pay here or find somewhere to go is that legal please help me thank.

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    • R Val  August 14, 2020 at 4:54 pm Reply

      Hi Michael,
      I’m so sorry to hear your dad passed. Mine passed away a few years ago, but I came to this website looking for help with my own greedy mom problems. As the article above mentions, everyone grieves different and seeks control. It sounds like your mom wants to let you guys know someone is still in charge and take control of things herself. I think there is a way to make her feel like she has control, by gently reminding her you are also grieving and looking for your own personal closure, as he was YOUR dad, and an important person in your life too. What was missing from the initial months of my father’s passing was communication. If I could do it all over again, I’d sit down with a lawyer, a mediator and my entire family to discuss the financials and who gets what. It’s hard to even think about in the moment, but clear, concise (and consensus) communication is key. If you can find a way to get things in writing (maybe via email), you can always keep those written agreements in your back pocket for when you may need them. And if it really comes down to it, you can also remind her that they are not legally married and as his sons, you have a right to make decisions about his life and material possessions.

  23. Joan Rollag  June 19, 2020 at 10:28 am Reply

    I lost my husband may 20th of this year in a bad car accident. A drunk kid hit him going 70 in a 40. Dale an I meet july 4th 2004 he sold me a car and told me its custom for him to take me out to supper since I bought the car. lol. smooth talker. I married 2-14-11 (my birthday an valentines day) He had grown kids and mine where still at home. His kids never really came around. He always did holidays with them at there house and I did mine with my kids. The only time he ever say them was holidays(3 times a year) or a birthday. We all live in the same town .He did joined us sometimes at my holidays with my family. After his death the daughter started demanding there mom be on obituary. I nicely reminded them he was not married to her no more was not going to happen. He had a triple heart by pass 3 years ago and we had no health insurance. So he put his collector car in youngest daughters name so collection people couldn’t get it. He was only gone maybe 36 hours and they wanted in the garage now to get the car and had a list of things they where taking. Long story short i was backing the car out and the oldest daughter(40 yrs old) started yelling at my mom(68 yr old pass maker , 2 rotator cuff surgery’s and diabetic ) she hauls off an hits my mom. Blood is running down my moms nose..She broke my moms glasses an nose. The other daughter had already called the cops. My mom would not press charges bcuz shes a RN at local hospital and she didn’t want any more stress for me. You would think it would end there but it doesn’t. One daughter took the bag of clothes from the hospital which had his drivers license an cross necklace i gave him and she will not give it back. The oldest step daughter had her own obituary made up( her bf has a printing company in our city.) She did not even put my name in it all. Even had the catholic priest not say my name. Then in funeral line out to cemetery her mom tried to push us out of the line. A day later local stone place tried placing a stone on grave site with out my name even on it. Cemetery guy calls me and told me no stone will be put up there unless i say so. Now they have a lawyer and she is sending me a list of things they want. its so funny bcuz the things they listed half we dont have anymore. My husband sold on craiglist bcuz he wasnt working like almost 3 yrs ago. Then to ask for the tv, kitchen table and computer. I just dont get it. How can some people be so heartless. Now with the wrongful death suit they are trying to get me off as primary so they collect the money. It just never stops! I keep reminding them we are legally married!!!

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  24. John Smith  June 16, 2020 at 2:02 am Reply

    Lockdown Funeral Friday 19th June 2020 for Mum… 10 people allowed! The crematorium has a cctv that can record the service. The video is kept on a secure ‘server’, whereby family members who can’t attend, can be given a secure access code to watch/download the service. This is a time-sensitive service, which would be deleted after 7 days… Except my black-hearted sister doesn’t want to allow it! No reason given! She knows full-well our Uncle, Mother’s brother (plus many other loving family can’t attend!) She is an icy, control freak… After her recent actions… I swear, she is only walking around, living and breathing because I have a wife and 4 sons I love dearly… If I were single, with no family ties… I’d be sat in a cell right now!

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  25. Janet  June 13, 2020 at 11:56 pm Reply

    My 96 year old Mother died a month ago. She was cremated and her urn will be interred in another state next month. My sister had taken Mother into her home to care for her and it was agreed by the 4 other siblings that some compensation from Mother’s monthly benefits was warranted to our sister for being the caregiver. We trusted our sister, but it turns out that she stole a quarter of a million dollars from Mother and lied to us about expenses. She even claimed that she was taking Mother for Dr. visits when, in reality, we have learned that mother had not had Dr. care for the last 4 years of her life! Mother had dementia so it was easy for my sister to lie. One brother is so angry that he is demanding that we don’t tell the guilty sister when the service is. He says if sister and her husband show up, he will start a fight at the gravesite and even punch the husband! Me and my other two siblings want to get past what my sister and her husband did. We believe that it is unforgivable to keep our sister from her own mother’s service and we wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves if we complied with our brothers demands. But we don’t want a physical fight to take place during Mother’s service either. I can’t sleep and believe I’m developing an ulcer due to the worry about what to do. I just want to do the right thing. Either decision will most likely result in the estrangement of one of our siblings. I’m praying that the right answer will be revealed to me.

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  26. anthony  June 13, 2020 at 3:55 pm Reply

    everybody show s up when its time to collect the check. but too cheap to pay for son or grandsons much needed therapy so he ends up committing suicide. others quick to get back to work so mistakes are made with care. leaving hospital too early??? against doctor advice. death. people end up dying due to their greedy hate filled hearts while they hide behind the bible to cover their mental illness and complete failures as parents.

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  27. robert  June 11, 2020 at 10:07 am Reply

    too many people fight after death. very helpful info

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  28. Beverly  April 1, 2020 at 2:54 am Reply

    This grief from the death of a parent is a painful one. Fighting over caregiving. When a caregiver seizes control when they have previously been absent from any supportive contact and doing so while people are vulnerable is a despicable act made. It is made worse only by taking control, projecting a false image of being benevolent and transparent, yet bullying and emotional abusing other family. To grieve the loss of a parent is already layered with difficult paths at so many levels. When action toward other family are hostile, menacing, and deceitful, it is a grief that lingers and pierce the heat many times over . Not even forgiveness changes a relationship with a family member who behaved with such such. duplicity

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  29. Caro Summers  March 1, 2020 at 5:16 pm Reply

    My step mother has only asked one daughter to accompany her to scatter dad’s ashes. There are 3 of us daughters and she is doing her best to cut me out of everything. No say in funeral, no say in any part of the rituals that take place after a death. My father was dying and we were only allowed to see him if we didn’t cry, and she expects us not to cry at funeral too. The service is all about the gratitude for the 30 years she spent with him, nothing about the fact he was my father for the past 61 years. The one thing I’m grateful for is that my dad never has to witness her utter cruelty and evilness and that l will never have to see her again.

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  30. Unknown  December 17, 2019 at 2:55 pm Reply

    I’ve been abroad for some time whilst my
    parent withheld from me that they were at end of life and unwell of which I was totally unaware

    We agreed for me to come home to visit , so I naturally did, ASAP

    I found him alone with no visitations from the other siblings, just his good friends

    We spent over 10 hours together every day 7 days a week and had so much fun

    He said come home so I packed up my life and returned to be by his side 7 days a week as he finally told me he was at end of life

    On my return to be with him and be by his side to the end, still no visitations from siblings and just his good friends

    We spent quality time together and he died beside me in his home , peacefully , with natural causes

    As soon as he passed, I was the target of abuse from the siblings , same day of passing and every day up to the funeral

    Not long after the funeral, siblings tell me I must vacate dads home so I naturally did

    I stayed in the same state not knowing any person and since moving back to be with my parent prior to his passing , not one communication received from either sibling

    No how are you nothing yet I’ve messaged them kind positive words with no reply

    Christmas is nearing and not even an invite or acknowledgment

    Been abroad a long time and this is my first Christmas home and now, without dad

    Fortunately I am a strong character and manage life’s chapters we are all dealt very well

    So my advice to all of you grieving and trying to understand why a reaction / outburst occurs towards you once a family member has passed, is to not dwell and question, but instead to ignore and know in your heart that your loved one is at peace and smile when thinking of your loved one as to dwell and question is only hurting and impacting your life during grieving and preventing you from moving forward

    Cherish the quality times spent with your loved ones prior to their passing and don’t harbour anger or upset towards anyone

    Move forward and enjoy your new chapter in life as your loved one whom has passed would wish this for you

    I thank all whom have shared their personal story as I have found it most soothing to read and understand

    Thank you very much

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    • Bianca Saldana  August 17, 2020 at 4:22 pm Reply

      Thank you so much for posting this. I lost my son a week ago, I live in Florida and he was living in New York with his stepdad it was actually his real father raising him from 3 years old. Anyway, my son passed away last week and this whole week has been a nightmare. I have been going out of my mind and have not known what to do with myself or my body. Sometimes I feel like I am going crazy. I have to come online to get some ideas on how to handle this and came across this site and started reading. Some of the stories were worse than mine which was almost unbelievable, because I can’t believe what has happened to me this past week. Your post was going to be the last one I was going to read and I am so glad I got to read it and did not stop sooner. I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that. I think it will help you do a post again sometime and you won’t have to hesitate knowing it may make a difference for someone and so it will be worth it! Thanks again as your words have helped me to feel a little lighter!? be safe

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      • Ashley  January 16, 2021 at 2:40 am

        Thanks to you for expressing your gratitude in a way I am thankful for . You’ve helped me, thank you tonight.

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    • KELLIBAUER0806800  August 25, 2020 at 12:49 am Reply

      I was left out deliberately with portion of the assets, when dad passed, but i fought it. I did not go on line, or cry about it. I mourn dad quietly. I literally spent the last four to five years helping him, so much. I am having no regrets being his full time 24hrs. a day, seven days a week, with no time off caretaker. I was honored to.

      No 1 else did care enough to, not even take him for a ride, in a vehicle,or sit on the porch with dad. No one cared. I learned i was left out of the funeral arrangements,illegally. I got a lawyer afterward to serve my sister and 1 weak brother, papers suing them.I know i smile knowing it is pending. At least there will be a public legal record showing, they did this,out of only spite jealousy,of the very tight close healthy relationship i had with my father.”May he rip.
      I went to funeral,but i mourned him before that,and only went to keep my mother happy.
      I shall not drop such suit against for the violation of my right to legally by law, participate in my parent’s funeral plans, because i had a right. I will keep my lawyer too, involved. I am maybe going to need him,again, one day.” Just HIRE A LAWYER, everyone.

      Cry when you are missing him, or your mom, and let it out, then SMILE @ all happy memories. The memories,are things no EVIL jealous hatred troubled no good sibling can take from you.”
      The ones who keep you illegally, out of funeral plans,shall not be blessed, trust me.

      It’s called Bad Karma.”Trust me, on that. If you’re also needing to call the police?

      Do it fast and if they threaten to hurt,to harm you at anytime.

      This way, there is an active police record on it each time, against the no good family member, who threaten you with bodily harm, and or other things,so just remember, stay calm, CALL a lawyer, some talk to you free or shall represent you.” or do it yourself, just as good. (pro-se)keep in mind, a NORMAL sane man or woman, older especially past 30s to FIFTIES would never act the way your sibling has.”

      You gotta remember, GOD don’t love ugly, so they have mental issues, to do it,and only are hurting their own self.

      God will bless you, if you’re not returning such ugly,but you are able to RISE above it, like i did. I am glad i was able to rise above it, because now, with a lawyer handling them ungrateful greedy shallow no good siblings of mine, they have now backed off,

      AND must “CALL” before passing through, to my house i share with my mom.”

      Just like dad wanted me to stay strong,be there for mom. I shall continue to mourn him and remember the great times.” I hope you all take heed to this.” God bless.

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  31. Dave Simpson  December 2, 2019 at 11:13 am Reply

    my son’s wife died about a 2 years ago on Christmas night leaving Jack now 4 1/2 and Grace 3. They both saw Mom downward spiral{she did kept a happy face}. The kids saw a party with Dad shaving his head to look like Mom. My son’s mother-in-law was a basket case. She is a fits the definition of a Narcissist…each and every meaning in any dictionary. But her daughter was someone you’d love to be your daughter. At the end her mother & step father & brother. They all refused to leave my son house the last 4 days. We’re taking 24/7. At the end the mother-in-law kept on asking her daughter if she could see on the other side her Grandpa this is with her own daughter repeatedly throwing up….Wow you would not believe the mother-in-law. Well, who knows if or how much the kids saw or heard during this time. So back to the problem…Jack the oldest when he get dropped off by Dad at our house (Son’folks} he will cling to Dad who’s leaving, begging him to go with him Plus after Dad leaves he will scream and grabbing the door knob crying, yelling, etc for last time for 30 minutes maybe more. We tried everything we knew how and finally just had to sit at the door and talk with him. Does he need counseling?

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    • Sunny  December 10, 2019 at 2:58 pm Reply

      Actually its somewhat normal though it doesn’t seem it.Death can be frightening to adults let alone kids.Its the fear of total abandonment. Exercise a little patience and keep your eyes open for other signs. If it lasts to long or gets worse then therapy may be appropriate.Just as it takes time for adults to process death so to for kids’ little extra attention wouldn’t hurt either. Just make sure it isn’t to stiff stilted feeling to formal. That puts to much spotlight on the problem.Let the child approach you with what they want to discuss.

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  32. Cristela D Soto  November 25, 2019 at 12:38 pm Reply

    My cousin was separated and his adult children had minimal contact with him. He lived at home with his parents. He recently passed away and the adult children have taken over the arrangements and want to cremate him with no ceremony or family involvement. Is this something that can be fought? Time is limited since the arrangement has been made as his children want. Why would they want to take part in his death when they barely took part in his life? The parents want to make the decision being that it was they whom lived with him.

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    • LolaKSpeaks  November 30, 2019 at 7:13 am Reply

      While his adult children as his heirs may have legal claim over his possessio s in the absence of a will, they don’t have legal poasession of him. My father just passed away on Nov. 14th of rhia year and state laws wouldn’t allow a cremation until X many days had first past.This gives families to interject. I would check with your state laws. The funeral home should be able to help with that as they helped guid us. My mother did not want to go into the funeral home and therefore it required each one of his children to sign off on his cremation. Had she went in, her signature was enough alone. One last thing to consider is do memorial service with his ashes.

      On a personal note, this is the last thing his parents are going to be able to do for him. Equally this will be the last thing you’ll be able to for him. so speak up and stand up for him.

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  33. Loren  September 12, 2019 at 1:00 pm Reply

    There are a lot of “sister” comments on here.
    I totally relate to them.

    Sisters walk around telling people how successful and perfect they are.
    The reality is they had nothing to do with anything they have.
    Most all of it is a complete lie.

    Most sisters are frauds…fakes.
    They are greedy, evil, cunts.

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    • Mindy  February 8, 2020 at 4:08 am Reply

      You must know my sister…. because you just described her perfectly !!!

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    • Sandra  March 18, 2020 at 1:21 pm Reply

      You must also know my sister. She seemed me out after never being raised together. When we finally met she had already put me down to other family members she barely knew. She definitely needed to feel superior? When I was just excited to discover that I had a sister! She treated me very nice but exhibited shock when seeing me. She knew she had made a fool of herself by smearing me. She was a banker. Very shallow, phoney, hurtful, mean, and actually cruel ever since. Ignores me . She kept going on about how beautiful she thought I was. And how was I thin and she heavy. Things that didn’t matter. I spent 3 weeks in Kauai with her. I thought we had started a great relationship. I totally forgave her. She didn’t even send me a text to see if I made it home safely. Blocked me. Threw me away. When I had adored her ?Almost 2 years ago now. Nothing. I’ve sent her loving messages….she is evil, narcissist , odd. ?‍♀️?

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    • Ginger  January 14, 2021 at 2:36 am Reply

      You must also known my sister.

      My mother died a week ago and broke ties with my alcoholic lying sister 18 months ago when my dad passed. I am the executor of the estate and handling the funeral.. the funeral director knows my sister is a sociopath and a criminal, my da made his own arrangements and said NOT to listen to her.

      Today she had them change the obituary online, including spelling my name incorrectly and taking out all of the charming things I wrote about my mom. I AM LIVID. I can’t believe what terrible funeral directors they are and what a terrible person she is.

      This is a breach of contract. Please DO NOT use Bryers Funeral Home in Willow Grove, PA. [link removed]

  34. Cheryl Clark  July 21, 2019 at 6:50 am Reply

    I was married for 6 short years and during that time, my late husbands relatives were nothing but hateful to me. His daughter stole prescription meds and her boyfriend is a convicted meth dealer. Needless to say, it was 6 years of hell and remained that way even after his death because of his family. They got everything after his death including the house my husband and I shared but because I knew they’d kick me out immediately after his death, I went ahead and moved out before my husband passed away. The family had been hinting I needed to get out. After my husbands death, his family got a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, all of the contents including antiques worth a lot of money, a fully operational reloading workroom, a fully loaded gun safe with thousands of dollars in guns and ammo, a quarter of a million dollars in life insurance money, an additional $6k in burial money left after his very inexpensive funeral(I was not allowed to have any say in the funeral arrangements), and bank accounts that I had no knowledge of. In total they got close to half a million dollars. I got a very small life insurance payment and a very small pension check. During probate the family found out they had to take over the refii loan from me or lose the house and I forgo to mention the 50 acres of land they got. In addition, there were some additional debts they had to pay incurred solely by their dad. They eventually took over the loan from me and paid the debt and then posted a hate filled rant in facebook about me not giving them all of the life insurance money I got to help pay the debts. Their lie filled ranting got blocked and so did they. Unbelievable greed and hate. I never gave them cause to hate me other than the fact I was going to get a small part of their dad’s estate and they wanted that too. I we t above and beyond in that marriage and that was ne or appreciated. I’m moving out of state and away from this toxic, hateful family who steals from each other.

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  35. Mike  July 20, 2019 at 9:01 pm Reply

    I got married to my wife four years ago, some months ago, i was surprise to get a divorced letter, i thought it was a joke, cause she likes joking a lot. little did i know that there was something behind her jokes. i really loved her, even after she left, i still wanted her back, one day i was online and i got a link Robinsonbuckler @ hotmail . com, i explained everything to the admin, he told me what to do, and i did, guess what my friends!!! i and my wife are back together again for good and we now love ourselves more than before. thanks to Robinson buckler for his wonderful help. you can contact this great man, i promised to testify if things really work out for good.

    • Chris  November 14, 2021 at 5:13 pm Reply

      My grandma died she practically raised 4 of us.me and my 3sisters while at her deathbed no one told me nothing…I had to travel and was barely given private time to talk to her shockingly from my sister’s whom needly say had taken over all the finances since my grandma had started losing memory..my two kids were not mentioned in the orbituary…zero speeches …a week after the funeral they have started selling this and that.. sidelining me from any bank proceedings on my grandma’s estate….it’s heartbreaking thank God I have a very understanding wife she keeps me strong.its past midnight am sleepless perusing online I saw your article so mind relieving thank you.

  36. Karen Hirsch  July 20, 2019 at 7:03 pm Reply

    Robinsonbuckler@hotmail. com helped me get my lover back”

  37. perry a lisanti  July 6, 2019 at 4:36 pm Reply

    MY MOM DIED LAST WEEK ,SUDDENLY AND IT’S JUST ME AND MY LONGER 4 YEARS YOUNGER BROTHER I AM 60 ,HE IS THE POWER OF ATTORNEY.Three day before my mom died him and he’s wife,went to my mom’s trailer and took everything out ,and put them in boxes in he’s house,I seen my mom only one week before she died,because he didn’t tel me where she was until his son called me a week before she died to go see she ,she was looking for me,but could not call .i went every day and spent all day with her the last day the doctor came in ,and said she won’t last until the night. II said over and over ,to her ,that i love you ,I love you MOM,and she lifted he arm’s up together and back down they went to the bed. I know she heard me there. be fore i left the doctor came in and said she is hardly breathing,scene i was there i gave them my number,and they call 6;;00am and told me that your mom died. I did not want to go and see my MOM like that ,I made my peace with her 7 hrs pier,and i just didn’t want to see my mom laying there died my brother call when he got there and said i you coming down to see your mom ,i said no i did already last night ,and i did not want to see him either, because of what he did taking all her things already out of her place,I will said both get 50/50 i still have not got any thing no am i talking to him again,because of that.

    • Laurie Wendlandt  November 16, 2019 at 1:05 pm Reply

      Perry..how awful! My bro stole funds from my mother’s account & forged my signature. Get an attorney NOW! Read the will. Blessings Laurie

  38. Gary  July 3, 2019 at 11:05 am Reply

    My wife’s family didn’t think I was vested enough only being married 3-1/2 years (but being together a total of 5-years) to receive any inheritance from my wife after she passed away after 2-1/2 years suffering from ALS. I was her primary caregiver yet they twisted my motives to say I refused to hire out caregiving so I could hoarde money. At the funeral mass they tried to say I was not allowed to say a eulogy because we were married for only a “very, very short time” and they left out in the ceremony program that she was a “wife” in the long list of other relationship descriptions, “mother,” “daughter,” “granddaughter,” “niece,” “friend.” It is like they tried to weaponize the church to bully me. It was really despicable.

  39. Magdalena Zamora  June 12, 2019 at 1:14 am Reply

    my niece died in Texas was 39 years old.her hub and had her buried in Texas. she was from Washington state and all her family. after the funeral he moved to Washington.2 months later he remarried. my sister went in hopes to get my nieces stuff. Her husband gave it away. not even a headstone. we attended the funeral. she should been buried near her family.

  40. Robert Robertson  June 10, 2019 at 3:29 pm Reply

    I took care of my parents. They passed 20 years apart and same month and 4 days apart. 2 days before my dad passed found out my adopted sister gave him papers to sign to give her power and she abused that as my father did not remember he signed and he and I thought his lawyers had that power. Anyway the day my father passed the daughter and her kids told the funeral home and the minister that I was not going. I don’t drive and partly blind. I waited for someone to come and pick me up and nothing. Only found out what she did when I contacted the church. And before he passed she went into the bank and removed all his furniture from the retirement home. In the dresser had an envelope on who gets what and she knew about that and she also took the phone book on who to contact. I have been dealing with all this by myself since no other family. Been a year and no contact with anyone. Funny that even after my mother passed she started stealing furniture that my mother had left for me. We will never be brother or sister again, and to think with her kids she turned them against me and she did the same with the kids father and his side. Karma will one day get back at her. As for me I will be leaving to start a new life.

    • nigel mccluskey  July 6, 2019 at 8:14 pm Reply

      Robert,you are the dignified winner here,You can start a new life with GOOD karma,no guilt or shame.I wish you good fortune my friend,which I know you will find X.

  41. May  June 5, 2019 at 11:02 pm Reply

    My sister is executor of our mother will/house. My brother and my younger sister are taking her to court to force her to sale since we are a month in after she was supposed to sale it. I have told my brother and my younger sister that I do not care if it sales or if she (older sister/executor) stays in the house. However…he has said numerous times that I’m in it with him to sale the house which is a flat out lie. And he has done this often. If he goes to a lwayer and says that I agree with him….(which is a lie),can he get in trouble forthat?

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  42. Tracie  May 30, 2019 at 1:29 pm Reply

    I understand all of the comments, and it just sucks when family turns on each other. I am currently going through this with my older sister. Our mom died in October, and we are the only heirs to her will; however, my mom did not put the car or house in the trust, so we had to get the letter of testamentary through probate, but my sister wanted me to renounce my representative status, which I did not. She has always wanted total control and treats me like I am stupid. In trying to sell our mother’s house, she gave the counter offer amount without having a discussion, and everything seems to be a fight with her. She was always argumentative prior to this situation. We are now trying to sell the car, and the registration expired, and I think the right thing to do is to get it registered, but she does not want to spend the $50 to do so, and wants to control that, too even though she emails me (our only way to communicate now) asking if I know of anyone who would be interested in the car. I have disliked and even hated her a lot over the last 28 years, so I expect there will be no relationship after this. I can’t wait to have this all over with and have peace in my life without this she-devil in it!

    • Susie Q  June 3, 2019 at 8:00 pm Reply

      Sounds just like my sister. Who is now dead to me. Total miserable control freak.

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    • Still-not-ok  July 11, 2019 at 4:51 pm Reply

      My Mother died and my sister flew in from another Country and hijacked the funeral, ransacked the house, and tried to get my Dad to change his will, all within the first 10 days of burying her. She insisted on doing the eulogy and made it all about Herself. She used the words MY Mother… so many times I stopped counting at 16. The funeral home said they’ve never seen anybody do that with a sibling sitting in the front row. The tables had so many pictures of my sister that it looked like SHE died instead of Mom. Mom’s prize doll collection was appraised and wrapped into containers by day 7, even though Mom left notes for me to handle them and specifically asked me to do the dolls very last. I even found containers where my sister was stealing some, among all the other things she had stuffed into 14 Rubbermaid bins. Boxed and removed from the house before anyone realized. She had the realtor getting the house appraised by day 10 and was trying to get my Dad to take her to the Lawyers and get her added as Executor. My Dad was in a fog of grief. I managed to talk him out of it when I found out because I LIVE HERE. When she realized he wouldn’t change the will she convinced him to take her to the bank and add her on as a Joint partner on the account. She was very busy while Dad and I were grief stricken. She even signed all the thank-you cards from just herself and my Dad. I loved my Mom dearly and we were very, very close. My sister made the worst time in my life *worse-er*. I understand some people need to control things, but even if I try to believe there was no malice, it was then at best…unbearably thoughtless. I did not have a sister then, so I too refuse to have one now. My Dad just wants us to get along and chants ‘forgive and forget’ over and over. He’s been mentally and physically absent since she died. I’ve been reading a lot about it, it sure is easier to forgive when the other person is sorry. Since she is not, I’ve decided to leave it up to God and my Mom to, for they know and saw everything. Even if I somehow could forgive, I most certainly won’t forget. I have chosen that is it best for my soul to not be around her. It was made perfectly clear to me that I don’t have a sister. It’s been almost a year now, although I don’t cry Every day now, I do feel like the plane hit the tower and I lost my Mom, my Dad, and a sister in one blow. Damaged enough that I found this site and it’s strangely comforting to know that I have some soul-sisters out there, that can understand and empathise how awful family can be.. These people should be terrified of karma. I have anxiety about going through all this and dealing with her again when Dad passes. If Love is God’s greatest gift, Grief is the Devil’s. I wish you all peace in your hearts and the strength to move forward with joy. God Bless us all… xo

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      • MARY CLOUATRE  October 9, 2019 at 8:15 pm

        Hello Still not ok,
        I understand what your going thru and feeling. I lost my mother a few years back. My two oldest sisters felt the need to go get all my mother belonging and put them in my older sisters shed. Leaving us one small box of stuff that they thought we should have. It was shamefull the way they did us. But I was doing mothers wishes not to fight. They will get there’s when time comes. I had moved on. Then my husband died. All was well for a few years after. But now his twins found out I was selling the house and they think they are going to get money from that. They had gotten all there was from what there dad left them. I made sure of that. But now they are going thru his family and some of our friends trying to get part of the money from the sale of the house. They are making my life a living hell. The family and friends they are contacting, are contacting me to ask me questions and letting me know what they are talking to them about. Thank God they are who they are for knowing what kind of people these 40 something year old kids are doing. These kids have even bashed me on my FB
        page. Someone told me about it, so I went in and deleted all there nasty comments. I had to block them any and every way I could. But like I said there going thru friends now because the family they contacted refuse to return there calls.
        I don’t understand how people can think just because someone dies it gives them the right to take over others belongings.
        Sad for this world coming

    • Jim  September 25, 2019 at 9:20 pm Reply

      Mr brother as well. Except his thing is threatening and not reading the law. Got appointed 2 months ago but won’t pay the bond the judge ordered, and won’t step aside. So here we sit 3 months after dad died with this item would of Ann estate bleeding me and my sister of our inheritance at his behest.

  43. Jody L. Both  April 26, 2019 at 3:51 pm Reply

    I grew up in this house with my sisters and brother, each time I was ready to move, my mother would make a deal with me to keep me in this house. I have raised my children in this home, in the apartment in the back, and paid for half the expenses incurred while my oldest sister ran a hairdressing business out of the house, living free off of my mother and I. When my mother and her husband could no longer handle going up and down the stairs in the house, and I was once again planning on moving out, they offered me the house, and they would take the apartment. I was married and thought it might be a good idea for our family, then I found out that my husband was cheating on me, and I threw him out. I ended up alone with the kids, in a house that hadn’t been updated since the 70’s maybe some carpet replaced in the 80’s. I had spent all my money renovating the apartment and making it nice. The bottom line is that I have lived in this house for 48 years of my life, the last 3 years my mother’s health physically went down, her body failed her, but her mind was good, confused between her dreams and reality, she was always doing things, and it was hard for her to accept she would never walk on her own again, or even get herself to the bathroom, dressed, etc… I was responsible for her daily needs, all of them. I worked all my life, the only times I took a break was for the births of my 2 children. I went to school. I only stopped working when I realized that I had to care for my mother, and I tried to protect myself from losing my job by getting on the Family Medical Leave Act, but even though my company honored the law, they fired me 3 times, then realizing that after firing and rehiring me back, they had the Union rep. call me and ask me to resign, when I refused, they called back and told me I was being laid off. So, I gave up my life and made myself available to my mother full time, cause if not she would have had to pay someone, and I would have ended up losing another job when mornings came and she was on the floor due to the chair that lifted her up and slid her to the floor during the night. My paychecks and my blood, sweat and tears, all went into the upkeep of this house, the apartment, my family, and I was stupid, so stupid, to believe that anyone would give me credit for what I had done, they couldn’t care less, and making me into a villain rather than thankful that they didn’t have to interrupt their vacations and parties, and daily life to come and see or care for their mother, because they used me who was doing what they should have at least offered to do once a month, at least to give me one day a month off and let me rest my back. Nope, my mother had a lot of problems, diabetes, a heart murmur, knee replacements that should have been replaced again, very heavy, and I was the only lift she had, I would try to sleep at night, but my mother would constantly take her oxygen off and put it on the top of her head, so each time I would drift off to sleep, I would have a nagging feeling that my mom was doing something she shouldn’t, and I would get up and run down to see if she was okay, and darn if I wasn’t right most of the time. My mother was whisked to the hospital, as her fluids were getting too high, she had Congestive heart failure 3 years ago and every year around this time, she has to have oxygen 24 hours for a week or so, till the fluid left her body, then she goes to rehab for 2 weeks and gets her legs working again. This time the children who couldn’t be bothered with her for years, decided to take an active role in her life, explaining that the decision they made for my mother, was to put her in a home. Now, my mother made me promise that as long as I lived in this house with her, I would never allow my sisters or brother to put her in a home, that was in 1998. She also had a legal document made up with her last husband, stating that if any of her children stayed in the home and took care of either her or her husband depending on who survived to need a home health aide, that child would be able to stay in the home and when they were ready to sell the house, they would inherit half the value of whatever it sold for. I really didn’t care about that, I am and haven’t made any paychecks for the last almost year and a half, but I was doing something more important and my payment was seeing my promise kept and my mother where she wanted to be, if I knew then what I know now!!! My sister talked my mother, who was just glad to see her daughter who wouldn’t come and see her for years finally coming to see her again, into allowing her to be the POA. My mother never wanted any one of us four kids to be her POA, she didn’t want to give that power to just one of us, she had listed us all as POA in the past, but we never knew about that. She gave my sister the ok and that was the beginning of the end of my mother’s life. My mother was headed home after 2 and a half weeks, and she was chopping at the bit to get out of the healthcare facilities, where she could be in the comfort of her own home. I got a call, someone decided to send my mother back to the hospital due to low oxygen, so she is transported to not the same hospital, but another one, where they know nothing about my mother, then after her crying to my sister who was POA, that she wanted to go home, please let her go home. I got a call from my sister telling me that mom was coming home, and she was going to hire with my mom’s money, help to come in and give me a little break, and she too would come if I needed her to and even spend the night if needed. That was said and I forgot what my sister was, she told the hospital to send my mother to a Hospice in Vorhees NJ and gave them instructions not to speak to me if I called or came to see my mother, no information was to be shared with me. I called my other sister to see if she had seen my mother on Sunday, this was Monday morning and I was planning on going up, I don’t have a car to drive, so I couldn’t go up as often as I would with a car. My other sister informed me that Mom had just been transferred to a Hospice, and she couldn’t get up to see my mom either. I couldn’t understand the reasoning behind and started panicking, as to what or who had the authority to move my mother to another institution, and all I could think about was how confused my mom had to be, this was the 4th move in about 3 weeks, and still she wasn’t home! My sister blabbered off some bull—- to me about how my mother needed 24 hour care as her oxygen level was low and she kept taking off the oxygen. So I got dressed called a cab and grabbed some oranges, V8 juice and other things that my mother loved to have from home. I got to the place and signed in, frantic to see what shape my mother was in that would necessitate her being in a room with people watching over her 24 hours a day. Now, as the guy at the desk escorted me to her room, I left him in the hall, and saw my mother asleep on a bed, no one was present in or even around her room, and no oxygen was being administered. I tried to wake her up but she was really groggy, and now I’m mad, there is no emergency, so I let my mom sleep while I went in search of answers to this horrible development and although in the back of my mind, it occurred to me that my sister, the POA, was a minipulating bitch who thought nothing of stooping so low as to lie to both me and my mother about her true intentions, while acting on what she wanted to do behind our backs to keep us out of her way and not make any waves. Could she really have made such a decision for my mother against her wishes, what kind of child would do that to her mother, we didn’t need her help, she could easily walk away and go back to her life, leave us alone and let mom have what she wanted, to be home. So, of course I demanded answers from the nurse who wouldn’t give any other information except to tell me that my sister is the POA, and this was her decision. She couldn’t tell me what was going to happen to my mother and if I came to visit, I should do just that. So, I exhausted myself against the brick wall, and did just that, I visited with my mom. It took her about 30 mins. to shake off the tiredness and talk to me, she ate the oranges and drank the juices. Then as we were playing a game on the laptop I brought with me, she said, “Jody, now listen to me, I have to get these bracelets off my wrist and this IV out of my hand, you go get my clothes and help me get dressed. Then we have to sneak out the back door, so they won’t catch us and you take me home.” I told her I would, but I didn’t bring the wheel chair and I didn’t see any in the hallways, so how can I get you to the taxi? She is over 230 lbs. and I am about 135, not that it matters, if there was any chance that I could drag her out of one of the doors and not get caught, I’d have done it. We have many funny stories of how we got the job done at home when neither of us had the strength to lift a pen at some point but we still had to finish up for the night, with her in her recliner with her heated blanket, oxygen, table full of treats to keep her occupied if she got hungry during the night, and lots of water, ice, and juice on the table in front of her. But, I really didn’t know anything much about a hospice, only that they are like death watchers, it was obvious that my mother wasn’t incapacitated, she was still a trouble maker and I told her that on Wednesday I would bring up a wheelchair, and a friend of ours to help us with the lifting her into the chair and the taxi, she was coming home and I don’t care who tries to say different. She was upset when I left her, and asked me why I could go home but she had to stay there, and why did my sister, the POA, do this to her. Then she told me she didn’t know why she felt so tired, too tired. I told her I would see her on Wednesday, only one day away, and she was coming home even if I ended up in jail to get her there. I got the wheel chair together, my friend was going to come, and I just had to finish a few things and go get my mom on Wednesday, the phone rang, I thought it was my friend, but it was my other sister, and she said in a broken voice that my mom had passed. I don’t know anything after that, sounds were coming out of me that I never heard before, I couldn’t get my body to move, I was rubber on the floor, and I was making animal sounds of distress, and it wouldn’t stop, I couldn’t stop. How did this happen, she wasn’t dying, she had health issues yes, but not fatal health issues, and then I found out what Hospice actually does, when they take a person into their facility. They took away my mothers medication that she needed for her heart, diabetes, and all the other meds that she has to have to keep her problems from becoming real problems, and they pumped her full of pain and sleeping meds. and that’s what they mean when they say, we just make them comfortable in the final phase of their life. They just took my sisters word for it that my mother needed to just die, never did they ask her, or me, they did what they were told to do and it’s just a job to them. I can’t imagine what it was like for my mother as she passed, waiting for me to take her home, and I failed her. I was too late, I could have saved her and she would be here now getting in trouble and tearing up the walls with her scooter. My loss is a horror that nothing in my life can compare to, and no sooner did I get the news, my brother and sister were banging on the door, needing to find clothes to bury my mother in. I couldn’t hear them, and I couldn’t believe that these were the same people who grew up with me, treating the death of my mother as if it was something that had to happen and now they could move on. Then of course they told me that I needed to get ready, get my things together, and they were putting my home of 48 years up for sale. I knew that day would come, but never did I expect that not even a week after my mother’s passing they would have a realitor put a for Sale sign on my front lawn and be demanding I have keys made so that she can come and go with people judging whether or not my home is up to their standards. I’ll tell them when they hit the door, this house is a White Elephant that I have been working on for years and it’s in no shape to be sold, the ghosts in here aren’t moving out and they don’t like strangers. Are they allowed to do this, isn’t there some kind of grieving time to allot the daughter and grandson who gave up so much to give my mother the care she deserved? I’m sick.

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  44. Frank A  April 19, 2019 at 11:42 am Reply

    So much pain in all these comments. I wish I could bring a lightened sense to you all but I can’t this is all just part of life. None of us have experience in this part of life cause it only happens once. I know I was there, I saw the good the bad and the ugly, its so shameful and so sad, so much pain and nobody knows how to disperse of it. In my humble opinion I would say, take what is given and leave behind everything else with not even a mere thought, your life will move forward much faster and more peacefully. There will always be “wrongs” and take them as just that and nothing more because there is nothing else you can do except stay in that dark gloomy place. Allow yourself to move forward because that is the one thing you can still control…

  45. Bobbie  April 19, 2019 at 12:32 am Reply

    If your father died in a fatel accident. An his girl friend off 13 years that can’t not take care of her self should a will u now has things that are no ture written in them what can you do? On top of that the will said she gets everything an you get nothing. The will is 8 years old an not signed buy a judge. It has two witness one the attorney that wrote it an someone from her office.

  46. Julia Lewis  April 14, 2019 at 7:04 pm Reply

    These religious communistshits kookyshit confrontedshits rejectedshit repugnantshits derananged dementedshits over the truthful facts pertaining to their people dying and what their people stated against them to me as they died. AND THEY KNEW ABOUT ALL OF IT. NOW THEY’RE TO BECOME IMMEDIATELY DECEASEDSHITS. MANDATORY DEMANDED NECESSARY. MUST. NOW I WILL DEFINATELY LET THEM ALL KNOW THE NICEST THINGS ABOUT REPUGNANTSHITS IN THEIRSHIT MEMORIUMS. HEY THIS IS FANTASTIC. I GET TO TURN OVER THE DEAD WITH THE TRUTHFUL FACTS AND NAIL THEM ALL IN THEIR COFFINS OR HAVE MY DOG PISS ON THEIR GRAVES APPROPRIATE

    • Lisa perry  June 26, 2019 at 6:58 pm Reply

      Are you smoking crack ?

  47. Julia  April 14, 2019 at 6:56 pm Reply

    How about loserfuckershits dieshit as rabidshits immediately off of my planet who JUDGED allshit to immediately die and keep dying till allshits are deceasedshits by judgement of accuracy of millions of people. MUST

    • kn  April 24, 2019 at 2:04 am Reply

      You need a therapit.

    • kn  April 24, 2019 at 2:04 am Reply

      You need a therapist.

  48. Stephen ashton quicke  April 2, 2019 at 1:12 pm Reply

    My father passed away from melanoma very quickly he was going to write a will with inspiration from my only true friend in hospital but my brother pushed him to go home and not have chemotherapy. At the hospital my brother and sister verbally assaulted my only true friend about some small seahells she was given by my father, i was present when she recieved them but my brother was enraged about it because my friend had a real connection to my father spending time with him and having very prosperous conversations about life. I had quit drugs and turned my life around with help from my Truely amazing friend she had done so much to help me from possible premature death but now in my fathers last days my family was gelous and hated her in doing so tried to turn me against her, to be clear though i suffer from schitzophrenia i inherited from my mother. So i seemed to give amunition against my friend to my family that i regret to this very day.
    I watched as my fathers passing turned my disfunctional and very violent and chemically abused family inc me into a nightmare. Brothers had mooved into the house and im not saying this was bad because some good came from it with the work that was done to clean up the mess that our father had left us. I loved my father very much even though i had wronged him due to my illness and drug induced psychosis i suffered from. I am responseable for my own actions as the oldest at the beginning denyed me of drugs but i proceeded to distroy my life anyway creating brain damage still felt to this day. My father was kind and didnt want us doing drugs but he felt massive guilt for what he had let happen to us in his life he didnt know how he was to stop the mull from taking over our lives.
    I believe the guilt was such a burden that in his last days he thought he had failed and said to me “i just want to die” i responded “ you are the best father a son could ever have had” only remembering at the time all the good parts about my father as a responsible kind upstanding man with honor not the broken man he had been made out to be by my family when he went to jesus.As i confess my friend and i tried to get him to confess his sins and make a claim that jesus died for our sins and actually has our trust.
    Three years later the family has mooved into totally different directions and i fear my saftey as i have pushed and been pushed to have the estate sold, that my some( not all )of my brothers would try to kill me as i am despised and treated like a pawn in a rather dangerous game of (life after my fathers death )chess.
    Belongings have been siezed by family members as me and my two sisters struggle and recieve nothing but bitterness from this defening silent abuse. My oldest brother is selling the estate but i have no contact details of his even though he is the administrator, i have had a breif look online at the estate for sale but little effort has been put into the details of the estate rendering it very hard to sell.
    I just want it all to be over so i can moove on and try to restore the good ones relationship in my life.

  49. D  April 1, 2019 at 10:47 pm Reply

    My Mom passed, 6 weeks later my dad passed, nine months later my brother passed. My family in less than a year. Now my brothers wife of 5 years is taking half of my parents estate because she thinks she is entitled. My mom did not care for her, she hardly ever saw my mom and the worse part is I am being told there is nothing I can do about it. I DONT GET IT! Please tell me why?

    • Miranda Clayton  April 21, 2019 at 6:55 am Reply

      My family all died at once and within weeks of each other. Eight weeks between my father and my youngest sister who was my BEST FRIEND and COMPANION. My mother 12 weeks later. All 3 within a space of 3 months. Then my middle sister died just last Christmas 2018. I have nobody left, I live in solitude and I know exactly how you feel. I am still grieving. My advice to you is to STOP this person any which way you can, she is obviously NOT immediate family and if I were you, I would hire a lawyer regarding this matter.

      1
  50. Mary Barson  March 28, 2019 at 6:54 pm Reply

    My mother passed away 5 weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was remarried to a wonderful man that she loved so much. He had no children, but she had 4 from her marriage to my father. As soon as she passed, he took control of everything as though we didn’t exist. We are not allowed in their home, he would not give us any sentimental items. He didn’t discuss with us that she was going to be cremated. He took of his wedding ring less than 3 hours after she died. Sild gifts she was saving for my brothers birthday. Went out and bought a brand new car within a week of her death, and donated everything he couldn’t sell to charity, and won’t tell me which charity they went to. I have not spoken to him since before my mother died. I just found out next Friday he is going to FL to spread my moms ashes with 2 people she was angry at. The kids are not invited. Before she passed away, I was outside of her hospital room, and he was in there telling her lies about me. Horrible lies. I went in and calmly asked him why he was telling her this crap when she is so sick. I told my mother I never lied and would never lie. She was due to go home the following day. 2 hours after my stepdad left, she obviously was so upset that she vomited, choked on it and died. It was her bad nerves and family drama that caused her death. The lies my stepfather told my mom, that in my eyes caused her death, were cleared up when her death certificate was released. A nurse told me she had sepsis and was in kidney failure. I had never heard that. I told my stepdad and my brother. My stepdad asked the Dr about it, and according to my stepfather , the Dr said “it was all lies and I must be in fantasyland, and to say something like that showed how mentally ill I am”. So I called the nurse and he said the record had been changed, and no longer said she had sepsis or was in kidney failure. So my stepdad turned my 3 brothers, extended family, my moms friends, and worst of all, my beautiful mother that I was lying about her illness to get sympathy on Facebook. (I asked for prayers. He is athiest and doesn’t believe in prayers). Well, when the death certificate was released, her cause of death was sepsis. Underneath the cause it said kidney injury, aspiration and mental decline. I got no apology from anyone. I told them I was not lying. And my stepdad doesn’t want anything to do with us, has ruined my good reputation, and my mother and best friend died thinking I was evil. Why would someone do that? My mother had a will, but never signed it. She wanted to, but he never brought it to the hospital. So…he got everything. I know I have to forgive him so I can move forward. My mother was my joy and happiness. I talked to her every morning for over 20 years. I was her only daughter. I think if she was in the right frame of mind, which she seemed to be, she would know that I didn’t lie because she knew that I was honest to a fault. But she hadn’t eaten in almost a month, had sepsis, was very upset, and probably scared. All that together, plus whatever meds they had her on, would have made her exhausted and tired. And he had the nerve to talk bad about her only daughter when she was in that condition. I will never ever speak to him again. How do I forgive him though? I can’t right now. Why did he do this to her children that she loved so much? Why?

    • Jody L. Both  April 26, 2019 at 5:28 pm Reply

      Hi Mary,
      I just lost my mother a week ago, and I understand exactly how you feel, look up Narcissistic behavior when you have a chance, and it may help you to understand why you were the target of a hateful person who doesn’t identify with remorseful feelings when caught in a lie. That man went there knowing he was going to tear your love for your mom apart with his lies, it doesn’t matter to him that you shove the truth in his face, how could it? He knew he was lying, it wasn’t you he needed to believe him, he wanted to take the trust away between the two of you, he went there with every intention of planting one last horrible possibility that she may doubt you and therefore he feels better about himself, cause now he’s not the only loser, and your mistake, which would have been mine too, was to play into his game, to even give an ounce of worth to his words, even to think you had to prove what you already knew to be the truth, he knew what would happen when he opened his mouth, and he knew how to play you. You just like me, actually had to prove to yourself, and anyone who would listen that you weren’t what he made you out to be. What we have to stop doing is giving them the very thing they have wanted all along, when we play into their lies, these type of people actually have the same feeling a normal person would have when they reach the peak of a sexual act. They don’t love, they don’t feel pain, hurt, sorry, sad, and love is nothing more than a means of lying to someone to get what they want, the words are there, they don’t feel it, and when they meet anyone who they know will feel and hurt if they just play them, then they get the same high as a serial killer does when they watch the life seep out of their victim, only with a narcissist, they want the victim to live and at the same time be dead and forever living with the memory of what others think of them, and feeling like a failure. You know you have to forgive this man, No, Mary, forgiveness is a myth, I believe that’s Jesus’s job, or St. Peter, or God, that is way above our pay grade, you may never get even with this man, you may never know if he ever paid for what he did, and I hope there is a judgement day for us all, and we will learn what our deeds cost us when we go to meet our maker. I have a bunch of people that I too have had to deal with and with my mother’s passing last week, I now realize that much of the reason that I allowed people that I believed to love me, family, you know, blood, showed once again in the end and for years prior, exactly what they are and although I wanted to believe differently, I knew what they did to me, lies, put downs, every time I aced another challenge, I was stonewalled and no one cared, if anything, my over achieving didn’t make anyone happy, it made them distance themselves from me even further. When I asked my mom why she doesn’t tell my siblings what I do for her, I was her care giver, and I gave up my life everything I could have been, all I could have done, because she was incapable of doing for herself, her body had been failing her, and for 3 years, those wonderful children of hers wouldn’t come to see her more than maybe one or two days a year. She told me that she didn’t understand why I felt I needed to be patted on the back for doing what any child should do for their parent. I wanted to tell her that I didn’t need a pat on the back, but I didn’t appreciate her making me seem like a bum who is not working, when I was working my butt off to make sure she was getting the best care and my back was burning from lifting and maneuvering her into the bathroom, the scooter, and in and out of her recliner. She would tell them she was doing for herself and since they didn’t visit, and didn’t talk to me, they had no reason to doubt what she said. But, I wasn’t working, I lost my job due to having to call out in the morning over 6 times when I found my mother had hit the remote control on her recliner over the night and the chair lifted her up and she would slid onto the floor, that is how I would find her when I checked before I had to go to work. I couldn’t leave her on the floor, so my work fired me 3 times, while I was supposed to be protected by the Family Medical Leave Act, then rehired me with a warning that I can’t miss another morning of work. This is real life and how could I make a promise not to find my mother on the floor in the morning, if I left her on the floor that would be abusive. I couldn’t lift her off the floor, I could lift her from chair to chair, but not off the floor, and when you call the paramedics, you aren’t allowed to leave until after they come and get her off the floor. She didn’t tell anyone that part, just that I wasn’t working. I didn’t want to find another job while my mother’s need for someone to help her was not going to improve, why set myself up to get fired again? So I took the abuse, and shook it off, I wasn’t doing this for brownie points, I worked non-stop for over 38 years, raised 2 children, and kept this house and the apartment in the back from crumbling down, I have mad skills, and anyone would be grateful to have me help as I know my worth, anyway. Family, friends, acquaintances seek out people that they can prey on, people who feel, and can be hurt, and don’t know how to ignore them for the waste of time that they truly are, people like us, Mary, we care too much to let someone take a good deed, or our caring nature and twist it into a lie that makes us seem selfish for what we do. We give them exactly what they are looking for, because when you defend yourself for something you should not have to, your showing them that they can break you down. Let your deeds speak for themselves, don’t forgive that man for his actions, don’t forget the signs that he exhibited to you that pricked up the hairs on the back of your neck in anger or warning that told you he was bad news. These types of people are all around us, some of the best people you ever met, are hiding this personality and building you up, because when they show their true nature and decide to pounce on your emotions, don’t give them the satisfaction, just leave them hanging with no words to validate or defend, walk away and if you ever see them again, look through them, don’t acknowledge them, they don’t exist, they aren’t worth even a spark of recognition from you. Move on Mary. As I too must take this advise. Good Luck. And I’m sorry for your loss.

  51. Julia Lewis  March 25, 2019 at 12:35 pm Reply

    They’re loserfuckershit in theirshit nonexistentshit and they believe themselves. I am hopeful that they do not want nor need me. They’re overtshit ignorantshit. And theyve done this mockeryshit jeeringshit upon my life since i was 4 years old. All due to their inferiorshit jealousshit enviousshit repugnantshit. And i confrontedshit rejectedshit and vehently detest theseshits. And im accurate

  52. Julia Lewis  March 25, 2019 at 12:30 pm Reply

    They’re loserfuckershit in theirshit nonexistentshit and they believe themselves.

  53. Julia Lewis  March 17, 2019 at 1:19 pm Reply

    Thank you millions of accurate factual honest precise truthful people both nationally and globally against these FUCKEDUPSHIT psychoticshit zeroshit garbageshit predatorshit terroristicshit skankybitchshit UNKNOWLEDABLESHIT liarshit manbitchyshit womenbitchyshit childrenbitchyshit dramaqueenyshit loserfuckershit dumbfuckershit stupidfuckershit scumshit. You proved yourselves accurate against all of these lunacyshit peopleshit. Thank you for judging theseshit rabidshit guiltyshits to become allshit deceasedshits immediate.

  54. Rebecca  March 1, 2019 at 9:22 pm Reply

    I’m having a really hard time with my oldest sister of my mother’s children I’m the youngest of four boys and six girls and my mother passed away July 24th 2017 very very unexpectedly it has totally changed my world having my mother gone she was my all I lost my father when I was 12 it’s only been me and my mom I didn’t grow up in my home with my siblings they were all older except for my two brothers that are just barely older than me this has been the only home I’ve ever known in the 36 years I’ve been on this planet and my sister is horrible she has never lived in this house. One day in her life it was my father’s home before he met my mother and married her and the only reason she wants this home is to sell it and have the money my father died when I was twelve my mother decided then she needed to take precautions for my future she had her mortgage it was my home so if there’s any event of her passing the home would automatically go into my hands to wear my four older sisters that were not my mother’s couldn’t come in and try to take my home and leave me without anything and also perhaps her own children could do the same when she was right even though she did take those precautions fine sister has mind f****** so much that I’ve lost focus on a lot of my life despite the fact that I’m dealing with one of the biggest changes in my life that I can never get back she is sent me numerous eviction notices she texts my messenger and threatened with I’m going to have to move out and leave them everything she’s doing is unnecessary drama and one piece she doesn’t realize is that the relationship. I had never be the same after all of this she has broken my heart and it hurts so much she’s got my other siblings to be on her side I have one sibling that is on my side what is possibly going to prison soon so I’m going to lose him to I’m just really upset with all of this I can’t keep this up anymore I I get to the point where I just want to end my life and that’s not okay no one should push somebody to the point where they feel they’re not deserving to live I have four children beautiful children two boys and two girls 19 boy ,15 girl, 10 boy, 7 girl they are missing out on a wonderful aunt that I wish they could have a part of her life she has a lot of flaws but this was one I did not want to admit I believe she’s very cruel selfish with no soul is all and I guess all I’m doing this for is just to get it out of my head so I don’t have to freaking keep running around all these stupid things inside my emotions and feelings thoughts thanks for taking time out of your day to read my story

    • Rex  March 4, 2019 at 4:33 pm Reply

      For the people who are leaving “pointed response” for others saying “they just want all the $$ for themselves”, your statements are really for the most part out of line.

      Part of it is no doubt about the money. Every situation is so much different however.
      Until you are in that particular person’s shoes, and until you have been through with those people what they have gone through with whomever in their family, you really should refrain from commenting.
      Trust me – you do not knw.

      These people are so bothered by what happened, they have sought a place on the internet to express their outrage. No words short of a novel and ever express everything that has gone on for them.

      Let them speak without criticizing them.
      They may actually have a legitimate gripe.

      1
    • Dee  March 19, 2019 at 9:01 am Reply

      Rebecca I had to reply to you as I’ve read your horrid life problems . It’s not a story it’s your life chuck you have options . Your mom would not have wanted you to be so ill or upset . Please seek some help mediation or minds can help . Nobody should be terarised to live in there own home send the letters back to her hope you get this sorted x

  55. this is who doesn't know math but can read.  February 1, 2019 at 4:01 am Reply

    You said fuck that bitch why’d you say that for when now that she’s no longer here your trying to get every drop out of her estate with a crooked sounding lawyer you have

    Though she can’t do nothing that I have read from Google about these family matters

    Your not my family.

    She can on your side and you’ll get your $ you all can’t wait to get that’s it…unless you get greedy.

  56. What a shame you are for what you said  February 1, 2019 at 3:32 am Reply

    So their lawyer tried to steal from veterans my blood family members dont love us they love money more than family as i have heard the greedy ones i don’t claim as my family and they go to “church” but are “greedy” you should be “ashamed” you fucking bitch

    I’m not leaving take that money and fuck it you love it so much bitch we’re not in love with money like you greedy people are. you care more about getting money back from your own brothers death talked bad about my aunt sure got your hands out for her money though you guys worry about getting money back from your own blood that is a damn shame your crooked and the others are to.

  57. patricia wilkerson  January 29, 2019 at 12:43 pm Reply

    I have taken care of my mother for years. Every time she gets down I leave my home, husband, and pets to take care of her. I found out the other day she put all her properties into my youngest brothers name. He curses her, she pays his power and water bills every month. He told me he was getting all her stuff in his name and will put her out on the street. I have told mother this and she doesn’t want to hear it and got mad at me. He changed the locks on the door and told her not to give me a key. I’m the one that goes up and sees about her if she doesn’t answer the phone. Even after midnight, I called her all evening one day and she didn’t answer, so I called the phone company to see if something was wrong with the phone. The lady told me the phone was off the hook. I called him to see if he’d run to see about her, he said he’d call me back to give him an hour and he’d call me. I called him after the hour and he said he couldn’t go because he didn’t have transportation. I knew that was a lie because he has about 4 trucks. So, I went to check on her, she was ok but every time it rains her phone quits working, I don’t ask him to do anything else. But she left him everything. She talks about how he and his girlfriend isn’t getting anything of hers. All they do is lie to me. I am thinking very seriously about staying home and just take care of my family and myself.

  58. Blaine Knutson  January 16, 2019 at 6:06 pm Reply

    I don’t understand why a kids show can imply death but not talk about it? I am referring to an episode of (My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic) Called The Perfect Pear.

  59. Melodie  January 5, 2019 at 5:23 pm Reply

    As I read the above stories Im not sure exactly how to start my stories, I am so overwhelmed. Specifics for years my 2 brothers have been accusing me for everything that had not gone right not only in their lives but in my mothers. I have taken so much abuse I should have invested in a suit of armor. I have been blamed for every financial problem that my mother went through in her life (not by her, just the boys) I have been blamed for decisions made that MY MOTHER made but I did the follow through.The problem with their accusations is that they have no merit and or proof of any of it. I have the proof and the reasons why things have happened because my relationship with my mother was very much different than the relationship she had with my siblings. Not necessarily better but different. Things got severe in Feb 18. Mom had a stroke and was hospitalized immediately. ( let me get this quick note out of the way) I was in the hospital Dec of 18 awaiting a heart transplant which was the decision doctors made after I had a 90%RCA Dissection. Basically my coronary artery tore from my heart spontaneously ( I have NO heart disease) Anyway I had been fighting my own issues with depression ( I have 5 children and 3 grandchildren) I had always been a VERY ACTIVE Lady all my life. So the end of last year was a very difficult time for me.
    My mom had her stroke the ambulance was called and she was taken to the nearby hospital. My brothers decided amongst themselves that they were NOT going to tell me what happened. I did not find out until 2 days later. This was NOT about them worried about my health it was spite. My middle brother when I asked him why he did not call me said ” I decided not to because I didn’t want to” I was furious. Mom was in the hospital for about 2.5 weeks and I slept in the chair next to her every day for that time. I never went home and would NOT leave her alone. I learned everything about her medical issues ( she was 90 and at the time before the stroke she was fully functioning could do almost everything on her own. She stopped cooking unable to stand for long periods of time and thankfully she no longer drove. When she was released from the hospital she was sent directly to a rehab hospital in which I spend every single day and night with her ( never going home) learning how to treat her and following the directions of the many therapists that she needed in order to move and get better. I learned the daily routine of how to care for her and distribution of her medications, injections, and making sure she had healthy meals ( prior to her stroke she got a meal brought to her by my 68 year old brother who has been living with her for over 30 years, has not had a job, never left his room) He would go to a restaurant everyday and buy her food almost always the same things.
    I changed her diet fed her three meals a day ( she had not had breakfast in years and years just coffee) I had her eating a waffle, 2 eggs, a protein and fruit regularly. Anyway during the time mom was in the hospitals my brothers would show up from time to time stay maybe 10 minutes then they left. If I heard the excuse one more time that the cat needed to be fed I was going to hit him. Anyway you see where I am going with this, Very LITTLE visiting etc no learning about her care. Once I got my mom back to her home, things were going ok until the second day when the police showed up to mom’s house. My older half brother had called the police stating that I was looting my mothers house 16 hours a day and that I had been in his room and stolen a gun. Im not going to go into my brothers delusional disorder but if he had a gun shame on the person who gave it to him. I don’t like guns I don’t want them around me. BUT if I had known he had it I would have asked for it to be removed from the house because he has severe psychological issues, and cannot be trusted with a firearm. The police came another three times and on the 8th day we had been home I was greeted by a sheriff stating I was being issued a Domestic Violence Restraining Order (from my brother) with the most ridiculous comments on it. BTW he named my mother as a protected part without her ok and she did not want me away from her. I was not even allowed to go into her house and explain to my mom what was going on. I was escorted off my mothers property. Just a note I am the ONLY person who knew how to take care of my mom. We had been interviewing caregivers to give me a little break from time to time but they were not trained and it took 19 ladies coming in and out before we dismissed the agency and moved onto another 12 of the women left working for us because they said that my brother was creepy. So basically the 2 boys were thrilled I was out and they were happy. Even though they knew nothing about her care they did not even think for one minute what it would do to my mom. She had no idea what was going on they did not tell her about the RO they just led her to believe that I walked away. The hearing date was not for 23 days I was frantic about her not getting her medications, proper care, cleanliness and food. I ended up having to find an attorney who helped but it took money I had to borrow from family. ( I have 5 grown children of my own) My mom requested an attorney also. I fought the court to issue a change in the RO until the hearing date which as I said was over 3 weeks away. My brother showed up in court with a 15 page letter beginning with his high school days back in 1968. It was laughable. He said he would only allow me 30 minutes in the am and 30 min at 5 pm to come give her injections. SO mom was miserable. I tried to help her but at 30 minutes my brother was at the door with a phone ready to call the police if I stayed one minute longer than my allotted time. My mom continued to fail, no food regularly, no enema’s, medications not given or given incorrectly she came home from the rehab hospital doing very very well and all the progress she had made was GONE. She got so depressed. FINALLY 23 days later at the court hearing my brother lied through his teeth with every questions asked to him. ( I have a copy of the court transcripts) My mom had hired an attorney who stood up for her and she stated she NEVER wanted me out of the house and that the restraining order had NO MERIT. Since he lived in HER house he had no right to ask me to leave unless my mother had requested it. My mother was disgusted as the court paper showed that her own son had told the court that “My mother’s mind is like that of a child”. My mother had some short term memory loss after the stroke but she was very lucid and could speak her own mind. I got back into the house her BP was 208/180 and she barely knew who I was. I called an ambulance and went to the ER. She had an intestinal infection, Urinary track infection and a kidney infection, along with the fact she had not had a BM in 14 days. In the beginning it was decided by my brothers to keep my OUT of all financial decisions and they never let me in on any decisions that were made even though my middle brother and I (not my older brother) had power of attorney.
    Anyway months go by my older bro stopped doing the grocery shopping ( this was his job so I could stay with mom) he would pick up things here and there but when I needed specifics he would just blow me off. I discussed it with my mom and she called the bank to issue me a debit card so I could purchase medical supplies (gloves, diapers, wipes) prescriptions etc. I spent $600.00 over a 4 month period and my brothers reported me to Adult Protective Services for mishandling my moms money. I was infuriated because when I met with the case manager she had already made her decision based on what the boys had said but Never spoke to me. SO that got put on my plate along with mom’s care. I was told if I did not get involved I would be put in jail. Yes…. I got screamed at I got threatened, ( my middle brother threatened to throw me through a window, because he wanted me to walk away from my mom and never show my face again. They both expressed they wanted her to “Just Die” because that got them closer to the money. I was told that I was spending their inheritance. I just kept my cool and kept caring for mom. Issues continued and due to the fact I had no help financially to take care of her I spent over $5000.00 buying the necessary Items she needed for her care. My brothers contributed nothing. In November mom showed signs of giving up. It made me happy that mom and I were able to connect in a way we had never done. I was raising my kids along with my health issues so spending a lot of time over at her house was hard. We spoke all the time but it wasn’t as intimate as it was when I was caring for her. I learned so much about her and her past. Things she was hurt by, ashamed of, and her feelings when her mom put her in an orphanage because she was working 18 hours a day but over time she had met married and divorced 7 husbands. That had to hurt. There was time for these men but no time for her own children. I understood. I had gone to school to become a psychologist but 3 months before I graduated I was unable to finish due to my dissection. The abuse went on and one. I became aware of so many problems so I started a diary and wow. Now the tough part. Mom gave up in November. She kept saying that her boys could not put issues aside to help her and she was disgusted. She stopped feeding herself, she would not go to the potty to have a BM she was just staying in bed. I watched her slowly fade away. She was dying. She had so many things she wanted to say and I just sat and listened and cried. She passed away about 3 weeks later and I got to be with her to hold her hand to the end. The boys went on with their lives daily, I just felt a need to be right next to her. When she passed I called Hospice and then called the brother that lived elsewhere. I went back to my other brothers rooms and told him she was gone. All of a sudden I hear him bawling like a baby and even though I had different feelings about him I hugged him and told him it would be ok. Let me also say that while he was living with my mother over the past 30+ years he NEVER came out of his room he never had breakfast coffee he NEVER interacted with her although she was the one who financially supported him for his entire life. He never really had a real job here and there but none had longevity. He had no relationship with her. She basically was alone every single day. After I hugged my I went back to pray for my mom and waited for Hospice. They came and right after my other brother walked in. He NEVER SAID ONE WORD TO ME THE ENTIRE 3 hours it took to get her cleaned up, and the mortuary to pick her up. I spent another 3 hours cleaning out my things ( I had almost moved in there over the past year) I loaded up my car and I went home.
    Not even 15 hours later I got a call from a Real Estate Agent ( that I found out my brother had contacted months before) to get my signature so he would start the process of listing my mom’s home. Later that same day I got a call from the estate attorney which I never responded to. I was again in SHOCK. I was grieving or trying to but my brothers were pushing me to get moving. I had not even buried her.
    I took a few days (most of which I slept because I had not slept the entire last week. once I got my second wind I called the mortuary and the cemetery ( my dad had made arrangements for both of their burial 25 years before that. ) I found out costs, timing, memorial times, use of the chapel etc etc. I went to my brother and told him the information that I had gotten his words to me were “She is going to be cremated she will go in with dad and ZIP ZIP ZIP it’s over. No mass nothing. ( we are Catholic) I was in total and complete shock. I told him I will do what I think is the right thing and if you choose not to be involved that is their choice. I could not believe what I was hearing. So about a week later I went to the mortuary discussed how things happened ( I had buried my husband 22 years ago but thank god for his mother who helped with that.) I was NOT opposed to the cremation as Catholicism now allows it. Problem for me was she had a full crypt end to end with my dad. Why would she want to be cremated if the crypt was for a casket. I didn’t say anything because this was not something to argue about. BUT my mom gave me different instructions. I brought the vessel to the mortuary and the funeral director said he had spoken to my brother and he had been assured by him that the bill would be paid ASAP. I called brother after the meeting and explained what has been discussed and he laughed at me. BTW after the threat being thrown through the window in June I stopped all communication with both siblings at the request of my children, attorney, friends etc. They thought my brothers could be dangerous because BOTH have severe addiction issues which causes them to go UP and DOWN, UP AND DOWN all the time. I was opening the lines of communication after she passed because the boys have the checking account and other accounts and they are going to make sure that ONLY necessary expenses are paid. After the conversation with L one of the brothers I went on to get the obituary together made copies and gave them to the boys but they have not agreed on anything. SO here I am almost three weeks after my mommy’s death and she is still not buried ( he has not paid the mortuary) and he has not paid the newspaper to print the obituary so I can put a date of the memorial. Her friends, neighbors and many others have been asking me for weeks. Lastly I got a call from a Real Estate Agent yesterday that my brothers had spoken to him about selling our family vacation home. THEY are supposed to clear everything with me BEFORE they even make a phone call but they just do it and never tell me, The attorney says NOTHING. I told the agent that I was not interested in even talking to him at this time, Im not signing ANYTHING…. Until I get my mother buried NOTHING else gets done. If I had the money to move forward I would just do it but Im stuck. I hate asking my children for help ( they are all in their 30’s) they have families of their own and are trying to take care of their own things. This is where I am. I have no say, my mom is still in the mortuary, nothing has been done and Im crushed. I went to get my mom an outfit for her to wear and when I got there, my brothers had given away EVERY THING not even a pair of underwear there. Sick. The legal aspects of this are huge and yes I do have an attorney but I cannot use him every day I call him when I am desperate and cannot find the answers on my own.
    I just want my mom to be with my dad and be at peace. I want her to be at peace. Every day is another challenge and with my health I should not be under this amount of stress but my brothers don’t care and Im sick of all the games.
    Thank you for listening I know this is long but so much of this is emotional and without some details it’s hard to understand the problem. I promise to make any responses short I would love to know if there is anything I can do and any support is welcomed.

    • Jeff Level  February 20, 2019 at 12:42 am Reply

      TLDR

  60. Ginger  January 2, 2019 at 3:30 am Reply

    I have the opposite situation:
    My older sister has behaved spitefully toward me all my life. Recently my mother died, and since Mom’s death, my sister has been treating me much better. This despite the fact that my mother left most of her assets in a trust fund for me.

    Sister seems to believe Mom’s statement that the inequity in our inheritance is not because of favoritism but because of my sister’s greater assets and my greater need.

    We didn’t fight about the division of Mom’s possessions. She helped me extensively when I moved to Mom’s residence. She wants to spend time with me now. She seems to have done a complete about-face.

    While I am glad for her change in behavior, I can’t trust it. I don’t know the reason for the change, or if she will turn on me as in the past. Has anyone seen this happen in other families? Does anyone know why, or if I can trust her?

  61. Lilith  December 31, 2018 at 9:09 am Reply

    I suggest that you remember the future, that is–if you have a rocky family relationship now, and in the past, chances are–it is going to be the same–or on-steroids when the significant parent dies. More than likely, if you have a great family relationship, there may be a lot of turmoil, but it will be reconcilable. In my case, I have chosen to remove myself in advance, because it’s so toxic, that not any amount of money would be worth the aggravation. And the stand I am taking is crystal clear– no contact–never contact me again. I don’t have the energy, nor am I strong enough to go through the bantering of being accused of not being trustworthy, and not being a “good-sibling” family member, daughter, etc. So be it! Dear as they may be, I don’t like them. I don’t. And they choose to die in the way they do–and I don’t have to go along with all the lawyers, the string of medical crap, and all the insane variables. Not my choice.

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  62. Dean  December 27, 2018 at 12:25 am Reply

    I am the eldest of three brothers, and we recently lost our father. Starting immediately after his death, my youngest brother started disagreeing with everything I said. I could say that the sky was blue and he would say pink, just to disagree with me. He also started making outrageous and grandiose claims about his relationship with our dad. It seemed he was trying to prove that their bond was the strongest or something. It was really weird and immature. It took everything for me not to snap at him. I guess grief does weird things to people.

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  63. Holly Bauer  December 26, 2018 at 2:29 pm Reply

    My only sibling died in 2004, ever since Heather died…my family didn’t treat me well. I finally asked my father and his wife Jane, why they don’t care about me anymore. He said I lied about why my sister and her husband were separated that weekend she died. I had no idea what I lied about. I did feel guilty in the beginning that I drove my sister away, because she was fighting with her husband about me. It was over a stupid car. But it occurred three weeks prior her death, I was seeing my therapist about it. When my father mentioned it, he confirmed that I was right from the start. I began to think my father is right, I am a horrible person…I thought about hurting myself. But a friend showed up at my house and supported me through it. She said it wasn’t my fault, I wasn’t there to cause the accident to happen. I haven’t spoken to my dad since he blames me. I could not forgive him for that. He also blamed me for his online affair with Marilyn. What? I realize, he is miserable with his life and needed to blame it on someone else. ME! Of course, it is easier to blame on me…I am the only remaining child from his previous marriage to my mother.

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  64. Michael  December 26, 2018 at 11:16 am Reply

    My grandmother died in 1998, then my grandfather remarried in 1999. 3 of 4 of his children became estranged from him after he’d remarried (my mom being the exception). In 2000, he had a stroke and his new wife couldn’t be bothered to care for him so they divorced. My mother lived 300 miles away and couldn’t be there for him every day, even though he had two children living nearby (one 5 miles away, the other 50 miles). His three children went out of their way to try and have him declared mentally incompetent of managing his finances, so they could wrestle his accounts and property from him. As a result he was forced to sell his home of 40 years and move out-of-state with his sister. He later remarried but died in 2006, with my mother being the only of his 4 children to care for him.

    He left everything from the family he still had to my mother. She died in 2014 – so all that was left my father inherited. He died this summer of 2018. So now my grandparents’ belongings are now the inheritance of my 3 siblings and mine.

    My Grandfather’s oldest child now feels she’s entitled to those items when she had nothing to do with my grandfather nearly 20 years ago. She constantly offers to take time off work to ‘help’ me go through the belongings at my parents’ home. Her daughter, my cousin, does the same and feels her mother is due something since she was the oldest of my grandparents’ children.

    It’s been enough of a problem dealing with my father’s mess – my siblings and I haven’t had any issues regarding the house and property, but it’s annoying trying to remain civil with estranged relatives just sniffing around to request things that don’t belong to them.

  65. Elizabeth  December 21, 2018 at 4:12 pm Reply

    I am an only child who has lost both my parents
    My Moms family made me dead to them just a few weeks after she died
    The reason
    I was her sole caregiver for many years
    My aunt and uncle were angry my Mom had left everything to me and nothing to them
    They never helped care for my Mom
    Once her Dr decided her health became too poor and she needed round the clock 24/7 medical supervision and had to live at a skilled nursing
    facility
    My aunt rarely visited her, when she did it as nasty,short, and upsetting for my Mom
    My uncle and his wife never once visited my Mom at home or later the facility and were hard to get to the hospital the night she died
    I was hit, totaled, and left injured just 5 days after my Mim died
    My “Aunt” and “Uncle” knew I was injured and could not care for myself after the accident the only help I got from them was my aunt left groceries for me in the garage a few times
    I had to hire a caregiver to help me
    I went from having a family to only one cousin who still loves me and lives out of state
    All of my Moms family, aunt, uncles, cousins and their kids too made me dead to them
    I grew up in what I thought was a close and loving family
    I was very loved before this happened and helped my aunt as much as possible by driving her to many places etc
    My Dad suffered from dematia prior to his death and also suffered from an abusive second wife
    When he died I was never notified
    I ended up having to sue his Golddiger wife and she was found guilty of undue influence and elder senior financial abuse
    Dads wife had kicked him out of his house and refused to tell anyone his whereabouts
    I searched for him for two years to bring him to live with me and to be able to take care of him
    I never found him
    I was devastated to learn of his death later and also that this goldigger had lied to my Dads family that I refused to help care for him
    When I called his relatives trying to find if they knew where he was they yelled at me for refusing to care for him and did not believe me when I told them I was searched for him to care for him
    The last one I talked to screamed obscenities at me an du8ng up on me
    I was again devastated by what I thought was my loving family who never helped my Dad either
    So now I am alone in my 50’s
    Caring for my Mom was a full time job
    I was divorced and moved in with my Mom and grandmother temporarily
    Then my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
    I stayed to take care of her with my Mom
    After she died my Moms health began failing
    I never got the chance to date or remarry or to have the children I always wanted to have
    Before she died my Mom told me that she was sorry that prevented me from having a life other than caring for her
    I tied to go out with friends and would be leaving to go and them my Mom would tell me she did not feel well and beg me to stay
    I would stay with her and never go out
    I am so hurt and so lonely
    I was not supposed to end up alone with no family
    I ended up this way because of money
    My Moms family made me dead because they got nothing
    My stepmonster lied to my Dads family and cleaned out his money and assets and dumped his ashes like trash illegally against his wishes
    What can I do now?
    I am not married, I was an only child who had no children
    Except for one amazing cousin who lives far away in another state I have no family
    Many of my good friends have moved away or died
    I feel like my job in life was to be a caregiver for my family
    It was what I was raised to do and be
    Now they are all gone and I am alone
    No one needs me anymore just my dogs
    Is the rest of my life just going to be waiting to go to heaven to be with those who are now all there who loved me and God

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  66. Dianne Smith  December 21, 2018 at 12:25 am Reply

    My husband of 25 years died suddenly at age 52 from an undiagnosed Pulmonary Embolism in May 2012. For the last three years of his life, he was working as an Independent Contractor and had Accidental Death insurance. He and his only sibling, a sister, were co-trustees of his family farm. Their parents are still alive and are both in their 80’s. There is a trust document that said as his surviving spouse, I will receive his assets if he passed away and I have not remarried. He always told me that if anything happened to him, that the trust would take care of me and our two daughters, who were only 19 & 15 when their father died.

    His sister immediately took charge of the trust and told me that I would not receive anything. A year later, she sold around 180 acres of their 1,200 acre farm and set up an educational trust fund for her two sons and my two daughters, even though she told me that she didn’t need the money.

    I’ve since had to sell our home, move in with my parents and have gone on Widows Disability. I have a lawyer now that has been trying for 8 months to get my SIL to release the documents of the trust.

    He’s finally scheduling a court date to force her (or the bank) to release the trust documents and see if I can finally see what my daughters and I are legally entitled to.

  67. Scott meggison  November 23, 2018 at 9:07 pm Reply

    My sister died 12 months ago we just found out her partner has spent the money from her pension she got from work he didn’t pay the funeral costs with it my sister rang Barlow s and found out any ideas what we can do about it ?

  68. Sarah Calcagno  November 21, 2018 at 3:49 am Reply

    My father died a year and a half ago of dementia. The disease progressed quickly for him. I graduated with my bachelors and about a year later he was diagnosed, so my twin sister and I both moved home to help our mom care for him. Eventually he had to go to a memory care facility, but we still saw him every day, he was our biggest mentor, our hero – it was hard but we had to be strong for him. We had – we have – to try our best to be like him. My extended family, especially since my dad’s death, completely ignored or existence for the first six months afterwards (though they were sure to post plenty of facebook posts about him and make a scene at the funeral). We have tried to maintain a relationship with them, because my father always tried to mediate between all of them constantly – he just wanted everyone to be real family. I have never once brought up my feelings or emotions about his death, mostly because I feel that those comments would solicit some sort of rivalry as opposed to support. Recently, I went to a cousins wedding and one very “drama queen” cousin of mine asked my mother a question that I think shocked my mother – she asked my mother why my sister and I hated her after my father’s death. We don’t hate anyone, of course – we both just needed time. And she never reached out. It didn’t make sense. Then she took what my mother said the wrong way and made a huge scene. The result was my mother being “uninvited” to the annual Thanksgiving dinner that my father’s family always holds. But, they said, my sister and I could still come. I wonder if they realize what an uncomfortable position that they have continued to put us in. Why would they make us choose? I feel like I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. We have tried so hard to be respectful of their mourning process and of their feelings – I just wonder sometimes what the point is because obviously, even when my sister and I – who lost our FATHER (something they don’t seem to realize)- are so respectful and caring of THEIR needs…we will never get any empathy from them. One of my close friends said to set boundaries…I think I am just TIRED. I don’t even have the emotional energy to react. And I feel like their actions have caused as to backtrack…and now we’re depressed and grieving again.

  69. Carolyn  October 29, 2018 at 6:10 pm Reply

    Within 6 years I buried, mom, sis, and a childhood friend. I saw my niece scream at my sister’s funeral, because the pink roses I sent where too long. I saw my brother complain, why should he have to help pay for mom’s funeral?.
    Last but not least, four day after he died this past Easter the police arrived at my door with his distant family member, who demanded to know what I was doing with the house.
    Now all heck has broken loose as all are fighting to control property left to me. Even my own brother has stolen from me, with the aid of his sons.
    I am disgusted and ashamed of all my so called family that are left. I am especially ashamed of his family.
    They have no ideal what I went through to care for him at home. To watch him pass away and suddenly be alone.
    It’s all about the money to them. My only solace is wanting to make sure I have nothing left when I pass away. That way they can’t fight over My things. I’m Sad….and very ashamed of all of them.

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    • Heather  October 30, 2018 at 3:10 pm Reply

      If it is true, that they only care about the money and you truly don’t only care about the money. Then graciously offer to divide all money equally.

      When, you took care of your dying relative, did you keep other apprised of the situation? Did you ask for help? Or, did you take control and push everyone away?

      If yo pushed everyone away…..then search your soul for why? Did you want to inherit all and leave others out? Was this in they hidden regions of your mind in a way that makes you insist that is not true.

      Seriously, if you truly do not care about the money, give it all to your relatives? That may preserve the relationships and make you feel less alone because then you will be less alone. I bet if you offer to give everything to your relatives, they in turn will look at you differently and offer to divide it equitably.

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  70. Nicole  October 15, 2018 at 12:56 pm Reply

    I am the youngest of four children. My mom died this summer after a lengthy battle with dementia and COPD. Out of the four kids I am 20 years younger. I have two small children, a farm, and a full time job. My siblings all knew my mom needed help, yet they active let me handle it all. I asked them for feedback and input every step of the way and only heard radio silence from them. My texts and emails were ignored 99 percent of the time. I chose the nursing homes, the hospitals, the assisted living facility. She had 11 hopsitalizations. i was there to pick her up, manage her medicine, and transition her home. I made the decision on hospice and called them to her bedside. I asked them if they could stay with her while I got my kids off to the first day of school the next morning (i had been at the bedside for 72h straight). However, they all quickly peeled out leaving her to die alone. Luckily I was called in the middle of the night and she died with me by her side. I booked the funeral ASAP since I was exhausted and weary and that’s when my siblings suddenly appeared. They said they would not attend the funeral since it was Labor day weekend and their kids had plans. They did finally show up but not after I planned every aspect of the burial alone. Now they are very much present since it is time to divide the loot. I am so sad. I feel like I’ve lost not only my mother but my entire family. I know I did right by my mom, but this has been the hardest most lonely experience of my life. Thank God I have a good husband and kids.

    • Heather  October 30, 2018 at 3:36 pm Reply

      Nicole:

      If you truly know you did right by your mother than why worry. Your post shouts doubt and a need to convince yourself that you did the right thing,

      Your mother was not left to die alone. She was at hospice and hospice called you, according to you, when she was about to die. So why exaggerate?

      You said you contacted family members often throughout your mother’s illness. However, when you contacted your family members, did you ask for their input, or did you tell them what you planned to do and their opinions were of no value to you?

      If you did not value their input, of course they would not help. It would seem to them as if you wanted to make all the decisions or isolate your mother from them. I do not think being isolated from children is anything any good mother would want.

      Also it seems as if you made a lot of the planning and control issue mistakes that the article warns people not to do.

      For example: Why did you need to book the funeral ASAP. It seems as if it was out of spite. Funerals should be convenient for everyone to attend. Some people live farther away and need to talk to bosses about time off for work.

      The funeral arrangements all should be mutually agreed upon. If you want family involved, you have to…..well involve them by including them in the decision making process. Also, when you do, you MUST listen to and value their concerns. It is not only about one sibling, it is about all.

      One can not take total control, isolate the parent, and then act like a martyr who had no choices

      Also, if you feel lonely now because your siblings are justifiably annoyed at you, then you can make it right.

      Here is how: If you really loved your mother, and her money is of no concern t you, then divide the money equally among your siblings. It is likely what your mother would want.

      If you do not want to fight about money, then don’t.

      If you divide the money equally, and perhaps apologize for being a tad controlling, perhaps you will not be lonely going forward. I am sure it will make your siblings feel differently toward you.

      The most likely person to exert undue influence on a dying relative in order to gain all of an inheritance, is an adult child. Typically the youngest daughter or son.

      They do this, according to attorneys, by taking control, justifying control, isolating the parent, justifying this isolation and then portraying themselves as being the only one to “right by the parent”.

      Your siblings could not do right if not given the opportunity.

      • Ms. Rose  January 3, 2021 at 9:30 am

        Give it all to them when I am raising his children? Seriously…?When my husband and I first began dating his mom and a few other messy family members went out of their way to destroy the relationship. Always inviting his ex girlfriend to almost every family gathered get together knowing I would be there just to get at me. When we were having disagreements and would separate to calm down, his mother would invite the ex to spend the night at her house trying to allow them to sleep together just to spite me. When we got married they hated it but our love for each other mattered more to us and we were happy. Sadly after only a month and a half of marriage we we in a tragic accident leaving us both had I caped. We were pushing our car out of the road when a truck came speeding up on us and smashing us between the two vehicles and dragging us down the street it severed his leg broke his back damn near paralyzing him and shattered his elbow. Shattered bones in tibia and crushed my pelvis.we were immediately operated on and he was air lifted to parkland hospital for reconstructive surgury. The next day I was transported to the same place for my surgury. Through this long recovery with a 5 year old and 3 year old husband and myself wheel chair bond I had know help and I had know choice but to get up force my self to recover a year before my time because I was alone and my family needed me to get us through. His mom was in California and I sent her money to come back to Texas and help me out and she spent the money every time. And that hurt us both. once she realized the big amount of money was coming in and out of nowhere there she was hand out of course. Being there in the house she still offered little to no help wit her son. Over time we started going through bad times hurtful arguments and really bad fights infront of all four kids. His drinking and really mean attitude fighting and denying our baby boy finally got to me I had taken all I could stand. His sister and my best friend was living with us and she witness and was also abused by him. He was a completely different person once he was drunk and he drank everyday. We broke bottles and hid them and he only got meaner and sent after more liquor. I left I took my kids and myself and I left. Moving to Dallas with my kids and I eventually came back to get my sister in law who was truly my back bone and was there for her niece and nephew 1000 percent. So shortly thereafter he on life support from liver failure due to his frequent drinking and when we got to the hospital I made it clear to them I was not making the decision so I allowed them to make their decision and i signed. And we let him go. Before I could wrap my mind around what was just done his mom made a big spetical trying to stop me from taking my daughter. Then chasing after me and had the audacity to ask me for a million dollars. I was so mad and floored I just walked away from her. They offered no help with funeral arrangements or cremation or did they ever give me a dime to help with the kids. Through the years I still gave to her and helped her out as she asked. Its more than i would have got from her. I promised my husband I would always be there for his sister who was always there for us and I have and still am. So its not about money to everyone in a negative aspect. I think I was mote than fair considering the whole situation. Now we have a understanding and appreciation for one another for the kids sake. She is definitely a better person today and truly there for my kids and a devoted grandma and I couldn’t ask for better.

    • Angela Teague  December 10, 2018 at 9:24 am Reply

      Nicole I am writing because I recently just went through the exact same thing to a T. I to am the youngest of 6 of us and about 20 years. I was adopted when I was 8 months. Over the years my mom and dad have been declining and I am the only kid out of 6 that has helped them in any way shape or form. Spending countless nights at hospitals and taking them to dr appointments and watching my other siblings take advantage of them left and right taking money from them and not spending any time with them or helping me at all. My dad fell in October and hit his head causing him a brain bleed and he went of a ventilator. The doctor told us even if he made it he would be in a nursing home and would never be the same. Not able to feed himself go to the bathroom ect. I knew my dad would not like that and would be so mad at me. And he was 87. Even though I had POA and executor or estate ect I still called a meeting to ask them their thoughts and what we should do. Two of my siblings wanted feeding tubes and the full works with my mom and me saying no he wouldn’t want that. They even made my sweet momma cry over it. I made the decision after reading paper work with him saying he didn’t want any of it. They have been awful to me since and my brother even has cussed me and told me to die. Stealing from my moms house even took her kitchen knives. She is still alive like I don’t get it. They have not been over there since oct 30 the day of the funeral not one time and even left her alone thanksgiving day bc I went to my husbands. After telling me that she would be ok not one person went over there. Mind you my mom and dad were married over 65 years. It is so bad and they said they won’t go to her house bc they dont want to be around me. I realize it is an excuse. Two siblings (the sisters) have apologized to me and fully believe I have done nothing wrong. But my brother has stolen from my mom and like I said told me to die. It is awful. Don’t listen to that person that posted on you they are probably one of the ones that caused fighting in their family and trying to justify it . If you need to talk it helps me some. I am In your same situation I understand.

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    • ernie  November 8, 2018 at 11:41 pm Reply

      you fukkin cunt

      1
    • Elizabeth  December 21, 2018 at 4:17 pm Reply

      Liar
      Go get a real job and quit trying to scam people here!

      1
  72. Monica Cicimov  October 8, 2018 at 7:49 pm Reply

    Struggling to find the right answer. Long story short….. Father passed away recently. My parents have been divorced for 26 years. My mother struggled to raise five of us with little to no help from dad. He re married the wicked witch of the west a few years after my parents divorced. He did not support us mentally or financially. More recently we have spent more time with him and he has a new wife of 4 years whom I met twice. At a wake of sorts his widow made us kids aware of land that they bought 4 years ago. According to the law the property is split between her and us kids. She stated she needs that money to put toward his medical expenses and hoped we would sign away our interest to her. At first it was a no brainer. I have no interest the money from the property but I just received the paperwork and feel like she has been less than forthcoming. According to the title company she already received and accepted and offer to sell the property prior to a final discussion on what is to be done. I’m supposed to sign paperwork that doesnt even list the amount I’m signing away. Not to mention between 5 of us siblings not all were on board to just sign it over. The paperwork listed us as if we were all in agreement. On the fence.

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    • Heather  October 30, 2018 at 3:54 pm Reply

      Call an attorney.

      Do not sign the papers until you understand what his medical bills were and how much you are signing away.

      Ask to see all medical bills and all of his total assets.

      • ernie  November 8, 2018 at 11:43 pm

        Please, good advice here.
        Do not get scrod over, sadly you need to be on the defensive.

  73. Love your work  October 6, 2018 at 6:10 pm Reply

    Made an error in my post just now. My daughter died in November 2016, not 2017. Mother died in October 2017. If there is a way to correct a comment, please leave instructions where we can find them. Thank you.

  74. Love your work  October 6, 2018 at 6:06 pm Reply

    WYG has published articles that have been very helpful to me in my grief after my daughter’s death in November 2017 and a year later when my mother passed a year ago this month. I hoped when I saw the title of this article that maybe it could help me understand my family’s behavior, but it was not about material possessions. I don’t know what happened, but I have a feeling that again this year I will be alone for the holidays. Being alone is much better than the insanity. Maybe that is the problem. Maybe we’re all insane.
    Keep up the good work, though. I share your articles with others in different grief situations. Those articles are down to earth with no fluff. Very helpful to those of us still seeking answers.

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  75. Rosie Thomas  October 5, 2018 at 11:15 pm Reply

    My sister recently passed in Florida. She was under hospice care. I live in a different state. She constantly ask for me to come. My older sister was already there from a different state. She appeared to be in charge. When I got there she was in this dark hot windowless room. I was appalled being a nurse and having worked in hospice the patient was always in a bright pleasant surroundings. Anyway I was given limited time to be with her. I had to stay in a hotel due to the fact nobody made accommodations for me. It was 93degrees and no air conditioning. I also had to rent a car there was no one to get me from the airport My sister died during the night and no one called me. By the time I got to the house her body was already gone. No one told the name of the mortuary or any of the arrangements. My older sister who was apparently in charged cussed me out offered to fight me if I did not leave my sisters home. She told me never to come back. I flew home a day later. I found out after returning home there had been a memorial service a week after I left, she had been cremated and only God knows where her ashes are,she left behind three adult children who now hate me and saying awful things about me. My sister will not apologize for treating me badly and now her granddaughter who was not even there is giving me hell for upsetting her grandmother I have been diagnosed with PTSD,depression and anxiety. This occurred prior to my sisters death. Grieving is so hard on me. I don’t know what I did wrong. I am the black sheep in the family and have always been mistreated by my family. How do I get through this? It has only been 2weeks.

    1
    • Heather  October 30, 2018 at 4:01 pm Reply

      Rosie Thomas:

      Your family sounds dysfunctional. It sounds as if your sister has narcissistic personality disorder and perhaps the entire family is narcissistic.

      In narcissistic families there are favorites and children that are targets for being mistreated.

      The wizard of Oz and other narcissists –is a good book to start with.

      If nothing else, it will help you understand why your sister needed to control everything and why your were so mistreated.

      1
    • Julie Vaughan  November 28, 2018 at 12:55 am Reply

      I am a 50years old my mum died two years ago. My big family don’t talk to me don’t tell me about will I have been ther xmas and they start a fight I’m a quiet Pearson do I go this xmas And get told to get out they all no I am on my own help please

  76. Aileen  October 1, 2018 at 12:16 am Reply

    My dear mother was buried just five days ago. She had shared a home with my brother and his son for many years My nephew was a real ‘piece of work’ and had always been extremely rude, even calling my mother ‘crazy’ right to her face because she suffered from dementia. One year ago my brother let a niece and her young son move in because she had been kicked out of a shelter. My nephew and niece began an ‘affair’! The niece was even crazier than him and all this dysfunction swirled around my mother. It became clear that the niece was very manipulating and sneaky. As soon as mom passed away, my niece took command and was squirreling away all kinds of mom’s belongings, probably in thier little love nest. My brother agreed for me to go through mom’s things sooner, although we had planned to do this months down the line. He seemed totally uninterested, but I kept him informed and asked permission before removing anything from the home. It was clear my nephew, smitten with his first girlfriend (1st cousin) was like a puppet on a string. I was sorting out my mom’s trunk full of papers and letters, when he suddenly started screaming obscenities at me, calling me the most filthy names and saying I was a greedy bitch only wanting to sell off my mother’s things. Like anyone would want to buy our baby photos and her old letters, etc! As my brother stood by saying nothing as the tirade went on and on with the nephew ordering me to get the ‘eff’ off the property! I was afraid and shocked, but more shocked that my brother did not say one word to defend me. The guy yanked a sack I had filled with papers out of my arms and hurled it across the garage. I left shaking and feeling I was lucky I hadn’t been physically harmed. I drove away sobbing hysterically. Once home I sat down and struggled to calm myself. Then suddenly an incredible peace washed over me as I thought, “In my heart and mind lie the treasured memories of my wonderful mother who had been my best friend. Nothing is more precious, and nobody could take that from me ever”: I loaded up any and everything I had brought to my house, including her doll collection, photos, jewelry and jewelry boxes, everything. Took it back to their house the same day when I knew they wouldn’t be home. Stacked it neatly by their front porch, and drove off. They can have it all, and I am done with all three of them for good -the nasty couple as well as my brother who had not defended me and let me be run off by his horrible son. May they all live together in their incredible dysfunction and evilness. Then I went to the cemetery to visit my mother and lay roses on her grave. I know my mother is at peace, and I’m finally at peace, too.

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    • Jo  December 6, 2018 at 2:15 pm Reply

      Thank you for sharing your powerful story.
      You surly chose to take the most valuable things with you and to leave the bad past behind.
      I really needed that lesson!

    • Karin Erickson  December 12, 2018 at 9:11 am Reply

      I’m very sorry that you had to go through this. Unfortunately, this happens in the best of families. Everyone is going through grief in their own way. I wonder how things are going now in your life. Hang in there, you will become a stronger person with character.

  77. Anders  September 29, 2018 at 9:45 pm Reply

    I have had this experience. While this article was helpful, sometimes it is utterly impossible to mediate a situation. I definitely think death can bring out the best and worst in people. When it really really only becomes the worst…then what? I have a sibling who We believe suffers from a personality disorder. Everything at the end of our parent’s life was done incorrectly. Everything was judged. Everything was insulted. At which point any communication was used as ammunition by this one sibling toward the rest of us. We could do nothing right. But it had gotten to the point where our oldest sibling couldn’t care for our parent who had advanced Alzheimer’s. We had to put her in a memory care facility. We hoped for the best. Did a ton of research about what facility would work. Our parent didn’t do well. Had multiple UTIs. Ended up in the hospital a number of times. Eventually died. It was so awful, and way beyond anyone’s control. But this sibling thought he could “save” our parent. He couldn’t. No one could.

    Then being berated and harassed by this one sibling – it became too much. Being told we had given up on our parent, being told that this sibling knew more than any DR. It was clear there was no recourse. Then this sibling hired a lawyer. And like vultures they began to pick away at what was left of a mediocre estate. This sibling felt that he was being left out of some $ when he was not. It was so vile. Some people just are or become insane. And there is no way to reconcile, you just have to protect yourself and cut them off. Very sad but true.

    2
    • Ted  June 28, 2020 at 11:09 pm Reply

      Who are you referring to.

  78. Douglas  September 25, 2018 at 7:16 pm Reply

    Since I don’t know how (if it’s possible) to edit or amend my earlier comment here, I will add it below this and let you know what has happened since July 26, 2017, when I first commented. I would suggest you read that other comment first, to know the story in sequence. Here now is the continuation of it…..

    My brother (angrily) sent the two bags of ashes to me, our Mom & Dad. He had planned to scatter the ashes, which was his unilateral decision, contrary to Mom’s stated wishes. I regret I had never asked Dad what he wanted, and there was nothing in the will or anywhere else to determine this. But Mom said, “I want to be buried alongside Dad’s ashes,” that’s an accurate quote from Mom to me and my wife several times. We even visited the cemetery with her that she had in mind. It’s sad that my brother couldn’t hand-deliver the ashes to us, but rather shipped them via UPS, and he listed an incorrect (former) address for himself to UPS, like not wanting me to know where he lives as he had moved. The cemetery’s (Forest Lawn) protocol is to obtain the permission for burial from 50%+ of the siblings. I had to do some serious Google searching to find my brother’s address because he wouldn’t tell it to me. I provided the cemetery with the three names and addresses of my siblings. My two sisters signed the permission and returned the documents to the cemetery. But my brother only signed it and refused to provide a copy of his driver’s license or some ID that verifies his signature. This invalidated his fake attempt to act like he supported the burial. The cemetery tried several times to get him to send a copy of some ID and he wouldn’t do it. Thus, including me, we were able to get 75%, and that was enough.

    But none of the siblings offered to help with the cost of the niche burial. So I’ve paid for it myself. It was a few months ago. You know it was lucky that I intervened and asked for the ashes. The reason my brother wanted to “scatter” them, was because he hates our parents and he hates me for loving them which I had not known until after Mom died. The scattering was going to be like a final insult to them, obliterate them from the face of the earth, make it difficult for God to put them back together at the Resurrection (Christ’s Return). Parts of them would be in the forest, some of them would have flowed to the ocean via rivers via rain. He hated them because they spanked him in childhood, and he has become an advocate of the very minority viewpoint that parents should never touch/ spank their children.

    He makes speeches now, has web pages, writes books and tells people “My father abused me” and he says this over and over like a broken record, but he rarely says what he is referring to. I was four years his elder and also his roommate for 15 years, and yes, I got spanked too, but it wasn’t that bad. I learned to improve my behavior. The latest is that my brother has declared that my father’s conduct in relation to discipline (especially the spanking) and then Dad would say, “It hurts me to have to do this, I love you.” And my brother has now begun to say that this was _____sh*t … Our distinguished and popular Dad has become (after death) an abusive, disingenuous, dishonest father. Then my brother says, “I never would have told this to him while he was alive. I can only say it now that he is dead.” And the abuse he refers to? Nothing in particular except for a few fabricated events. I was there, and these events did not happen or happened differently.

    Oh, my goodness. I totally saved my parents from abuse at the hands of my brother.

    Now, if you are thinking, Doug, why didn’t you just go along with the scattering and avoid this huge fiasco, this sunami of hate? Well, the books and speeches would still have been written and spoken denigrating our father’s reputation. My brother still would have hated me because Dad (and Mom) were my friends and he wasn’t. He considers that I tolerated or approved of Dad’s behavior which he deems abuse, thus I’m just as guilty as Dad. But if the events he is describing didn’t happen, and I say they didn’t because I was there, then he is smearing Dad for self-aggrandizement.

    Then, New Year’s Eve 2017, the morning after we turned in the ashes to Forest Lawn, something remarkable happened. I went outside our house by opening the garage door (which makes some noise). I turned left, and THERE on our front walkway were two WHITE pigeons. They were like 97% white, tiny lite gray streaks down their backs. I got within about three feet of them and I said quietly, “Don’t go, don’t go” (as I hoped that my wife could see them). But just then, my wife opened the front door. Now, that door doesn’t make hardly any noise, but she came out to water plants on our porch. I guess when she appeared, the pigeons (ostensibly) got “spooked” and suddenly flew away, with loud flapping of wings (loud like normal). I said to my wife, “Did you see the birds?” (I wasn’t thinking pigeons yet) and she said “no”. Oh my goodness! I was the only one who saw them!

    Would anyone deny that this was a “visitation” from heaven? Two white pigeons (I’ve never seen white pigeons before in my life and haven’t seen any since then either). It was OUR walkway, not some other walkway. It was when I exited the house, just the right timing. The walkway was not some place to find food, as there wasn’t any. These birds were on a mission as if to say, “Doug, you did well. You have the support of heaven.” When I told this story to my siblings, only one sister (of course not my brother) expressed that she “believed” the pigeons were sent from heaven to show approval for the burial. Other people have told me they’ve had similar experiences which seemed to indicate messages from heaven. All I did was carry out the wishes of my Mother, but it seems that God superintended this, causing my brother to hand over the ashes even in his great anger. The story has ended well and I consider myself to be blessed of God. I only wish my brother could reverse his stance about Dad and about me. He has made it a crime to love your parents, to love mercy, to show kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. [Micah 6:8]

    Pasted from July 26, 2017 (commented below) …..
    I’m glad for this website, to know that I’m not alone. My father died in 2009 and Mom died in 2016. I’m past grieving for them. The problem is that my brother, being an attorney, had “power of attorney” and seemed to keep acting as such long after all wishes of the deceased had been fulfilled. Both parents were cremated per their verbal wish, but there was no further instruction from them as to disposition. My brother inserted his own desire, i.e., that he would “scatter” their ashes. Mom had previously (numerous times) stated to me and my wife that she wanted to be buried and to have Dad’s ashes next to her at a cemetery. My brother seems to have known this but ignored it and wanted to scatter anyways. Then I emailed him, “Your power of attorney has ended. By what authority will you be scattering the ashes?” I said, “Since I am the elder son, please send me the ashes (urns) and I will take care of our parents’ burial, pay for it and everything.”

    At this, wouldn’t a normal person say “thank you, that’s so generous of you”, send the ashes and get on their life? But instead, my brother, who has a history of abusing me, called me a bunch of ad hominem names (i.e., accusations without substance or specifics), such as “I’m tired of your spiritual abuse. Your God is too small. Yes, I’ll send the ashes to satisfy your demands, but don’t email me any further.” And so he rejects me right when I exercise the most generous thing I’ve ever done for our parents or for our family. This is VERY hard to swallow. I’ve been told by several pastors that I’m doing the right thing by my parents, and that my brother doesn’t have the right to dictate disposition. I’ll be glad when this is over and my parents are safely ensconced at a cemetery.

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  79. Douglas  September 25, 2018 at 6:17 pm Reply

    This is a test… I can’t figure out how to edit my earlier comment or add to it

  80. Loren  September 24, 2018 at 4:19 pm Reply

    The people who step in and take advantage of somebody dying…they have no shame.
    It’s not a 1 time mistake. It’s who they are.

    I posted one of the messages above. As soon as you “look past” this kind of behavior, these people come right back and do it again…it goes on over and over and over and over…
    They do not change.

    They have no moral compass.
    They are the filth of society.
    They have no shame.

    My one brother died of alcohol poisoning. My sister’s husband and his dad were saying that killed himself.
    He died in his house.
    My sister and her husband then come back and wanted the house he died in.
    My parents gave it to them. They then turned around and sold it less than 2 years later and made $80,000 off the sale of the house.

    People who take advantage of dead people…of grieving parents….they are scum.

    It’s all about them getting their “stuff”. it’s all about money, greed, materialism, stuff.
    It’s never going to be enough…and they never stop.

    Cut them off and take solace in the fact that you know who you are.

    1
  81. Bonzy  September 24, 2018 at 1:53 am Reply

    My brother Sam was killed in a military plane crash. His wife (now widow) has claimed all the attention and assistance, never aknowledging us, the family, never admitting we were also suffering. She treated Sam afwully while he was alive. I remember she always criticized him, always put him down, never liked him to pursue his hobbies, never let him go out, restricting his friendships. After his sudden death, she became obsessed with wanting every single belonging he had left behind. Obsessed. Did whatever it took, even overstepping and sending a lawyer after his stepmom to try and get his things. Now we the family, that always loved Sam through ups and downs, that loved him no matter what, are suffering a lot, perhaps even more than this money hungry woman is. Instead of coming together, she has started spreading ugly rumors about us to his friends and asked them to cut ties with us.

    Everyone seems to focus on the widow and shove us (the family) aside. I don’t understand this! Why is that? We are suffering too! We are sad and terrified too! But she claims all the help, all the money, the donations and attention to herself. Slowly she is pushing the family away, picked a huge fight with Sam’s mom, amd now denying Sam’s mom from seeing her granddaughter!

    I think tragic death brings out the worst in people. It certainly brought the worst in her and in my family. Poor Sam. He should have lived. Or maybe he is better off dead, away from all this mess and evil people.

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  82. Jenny  September 9, 2018 at 9:29 pm Reply

    Alana, prayers to you from Oregon. And to your Mom and Dad, who sound like Angels. I lost my baby sister a month ago (I’m the eldest of 6) and my step-sister purposely left me out of her obituary and her funeral. I know your pain. Thank you for sharing your story. Sending you hope and love. Jenny

  83. hey  August 21, 2018 at 12:17 pm Reply

    Steel roofs are on its method to reputation.

  84. Alana White  August 9, 2018 at 11:12 am Reply

    When my grandparents died, my dads side completely fell apart. My dads side is filled with rich snobby and cold people, who have hurt my parents to no end. My mom and dad, despite being the poor ones of the family, took in my grandparents when everyone else wanted to put them in a nursing home. Further, my dad is disabled and doesn’t work. God bless my mom, who without any complaints, now took care of my dad, his parents, and worked full time to keep things afloat.

    Dad got little help from his siblings. His sister came around at times, but she and dad usually just ended up fighting. His brother Johnny promised he’d fly down from his little Texas mansion to help, but he never came or even called. Despite all this, both his siblings told my dad that he could inherit everything from my grandparents when they passed (not that the siblings needed it anyway). But when my grandparents died…his sister who he had been fighting with (who also is a slick attorney) took the entire inheritance and split it between her and Johnny and left dad out. Actually she had the nerve to send my parents a bill. My parents were shocked. I’m so angry at my aunt and uncle for doing this to them. My parents struggle to even buy groceries sometimes and his siblings are literally filthy rich.

    Perhaps to me, the most hurtful part was after my grandparents passed, Johnny finally flew into town to spend 4th of July at my aunt (slick attorney) house for a family barbeque. My parents of course weren’t invited. During this time my dad was mourning the loss of his parents, the loss of his siblings and was feeling the weight of hardly being able to afford anything because he’s disabled, told me he was thinking of killing himself. I never heard my dad talk like this and it scared me. I knew no way he and my aunt would talk, but I thought since Johnny was in town, maybe he could help? I messaged Johnny to please go talk to my dad and that my dad was thinking of killing himself. But Johnny completely ignored me. I got so mad, the next day I told Johnny if dad kills himself I better never see him because I would kick his ass. Johnny and his entire family immediately deleted me from facebook and cut me out.

    Mom thinks that God sees everything and will make everything right in time. I hope she is right. Could please someone send a prayer for me and my parents? Thank you.

    1
  85. Loren  July 31, 2018 at 1:40 pm Reply

    The death of my one brother and my dad really opened my eyes on so much.
    For sure though, It has given me a totally different perspective on my immediate family members.

    The greed, lying, and phoniness amongst my 2 sisters, my one brother, and my mom makes me sick.
    To think they really believe I’m falling for their lies, that’s perhaps the biggest insult.
    My younger sister’s husband who I used to tolerate, the site and thought of him since my brother’s death makes my skin crawl.

    If I say anything or question anything, I’m the bad guy. I’m supposed to play the game…be the chummy good guy and laugh and talk about how great they all are…when in fact it’s all a mirage….fake…a lie.

    From my experience, and from those who I have talked to, Death(s) in a family does not bring the family closer, It sends the family further apart.

    I have learned a lot through all this.
    One thing is we all have to live with ourselves and who we are.
    I can at least look at myself in the mirror and feel good about who I am.

    Theyt

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  86. kenny d kennemer  June 25, 2018 at 12:34 pm Reply

    helly my name is Kenny my mother and myself were the best of friend and not to mention there was nothing my mother did not know about me she worked very hard aproxamatly 16 to 18 hours a day 7 days a 7 week and she basicly had raised me alone by herself I am 49 years old ive never met my father unlike my two sisters and my brother they have a relationship with there fathers all my life when my sisters went and spent time with there dad for the week summer it was contently oh my dad bought yhis this and that it was very very difficult expesally sumer and weekends and my little brother dad had took my little brother from my mom at a very young age so my little brother actally had two set of parents and my mom was my very very bestest friend and she had no choice but to take the role of mom dad best friend etc and when my sisters and brother had any problems or concerns of life in any act of life well my mom had re married at the age I was 14 years old and I guesse after she got married he had the role of being the so called oh mighty stepfather and he was a very very bad alcoholic and he always made it very very clear that the girls were the chosen one and to make the point of what im trying to say I was a boy and seemed and acted and made special concens it was all about the girls and as a young boy I never experienced or learned how to hun fish or ever had a father figure so as I grew older and older and at the age of 14 I then quit school and by the time I was 16 I was given 2 choices if I was not going to school wall I then applied for job corp I was born and raised in Aberdeen wash within a couple of months I was many many miles from the parent who ive always adored loved and respected I went to curlew wash job corps on xmas of 20017 was the very last real life conversation as a mother and son my mom had given me the very best of love respect I was her baby boy who she would take a bullet or even take her life to help me she visited on feburary 6 2017 I was served a no contact order and as I was not even aware not one family member notified me that she had been air lifted to harbor view for two tumor the size of of a acorn on each side of her brain well the surgery was not a pretty sight and the she had to go through the treatment of keemo therapy the life killing radiology my my was not aware of her actions or thought of what was goung well she then sighned over power of attorney to my stepfather who I swear he acted like he hated me and as a stepfather I had no relationship with at all if I was a girl he would have had open arms and he helped all the girls with apartment co sighned for brand new cars and they screwed them over I could ask to barrow 10 dollors and the answer I got would be get a job and within the first three months I then had a no contact order with my daughter and her other grama I seen my mom on feburary 10 2018 when the first no contact order had expired and the second visit with mom I showed up s directed by my stepfather I got there and he said my mom died early that morning and the only times my brother ever came over to see us was xmas for the xmas gifts that’s so fucked up why am I being blacksheeped for no reason no one ever contacted me ever

    1
    • Georgia  August 17, 2019 at 9:29 pm Reply

      Hi Kenny i am so sorry for the loss of your mom. You, your mom and god knows what you did for her and what your relationship was and that is all that matters! I have a similar situation in my family with the loss of my parents- my sibling and his family treated me horribly and our relationship is over since. This is so hard. I wish you the best!

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  87. Jean kirschenheiter  June 20, 2018 at 7:28 pm Reply

    I lost my soldier son to PTSD & Suicide on *-28-2016. He was a career soldier who served 20 yrs in the Army. He served all over the world. Decorated Uniform and Honorable Discharge in 2014. Retired in Florida with the girlfriend of 8 yrs her 3 children from 2 other marriages. They had together a biological child my grandaughter Emma Grace. The relationship took a turn when she was caught fooling around on my son with a old high school friend while my son was working hard 6 days a week with a good job at AT&T. Alot of chaos, fights, arrest, jail, for my son. He needed a place to live so his ex girlfriends sister took him in temporary. She was in the air force so she let him stay at her place on base since she was gone alot. He couldn’t go back to work because of the arrest a jail situation was settled. He was looking for his own apartment in between all of this mess. I live in new York and they are still in Florida but my son is laid to rest here in new York at a national cemetery. Nobody down their came to the funeral because myself, my daughter, and My son’s stepmother told the ex girlfriend what we really thought of what she did was disgraceful and disrepectful. Even to the point that she posted on Facebook a photo of her and her new boyfriend and my grandaughter and that’s when my son still was in the house at the time. My son was an amazing father. He treated his stepchildren as they were his own and not any diffently then his own biological daughter. I have nicely asked the ex girlfriend for a few items that were of my sons. She has refused to get in touch with me about anything. I understand my grandaughter deserves her father’s things. I’m only asking for one lousy thing. It could be absolutely anything and I would Happy with it. I have tried to apologize and ask her to find it in her heart to give me something twice in two different letters I have extended the olive branch. This Hurts me very,very much. My son was my pride and joy. Every day I grieve for him. He was a good son. All I want is something to go with me before I leave this world to take with me. So I’ve tried talking to a military lawyer and he says Jag cannot helped me because he wasn’t still active duty and they weren’t married. I cannot afford a lawyer of my own either. Someone suggested to get in touch with the veterans administration. But who? There are so many parts of that agency I wouldn’t know where to begin to start? My Daughter says also My state could have different laws that their state have too. His last unit was Fort Benning Georgia but don’t think that would help. He was doing counseling in Florida and medication for the PTSD in some V.A. but I don’t know which one. .So all I know as of today I will continue to fight somehow until my last Breath. I’m hoping to connect with other moms that are in my situation or a new roots organization that’s are are finding ways to fight back.

  88. S.H.T.  May 31, 2018 at 10:59 am Reply

    My mother died the other day. She lived with my sister who was the main caregiver. I did what I could to help out but it was never enough for her. She is a “christian” and always has her nose in the air and is judge and jury with anything pertaining to my life.
    I am a disabled veteran 100% service connected and suffer fom clinical depression and ptsd. I wrestle my demons daily, yet none of that matters. I went to see mother in hospital and was starred down and not even spoken to. Mother was put in hospice and I found out from an aunt 2000 miles away some days after the fact. She died that night before I was able to go see her. I have asked the funeral director for a private viewing to pay my respects. I cannot bring myself to go to the funeral and have daggers shot my way. I feel my respects have been paid. Let the tongues wag as they may…I have no regrets. R.I.P. mother

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  89. S.H.T.  May 31, 2018 at 10:59 am Reply

    My mother died the other day. She lived with my sister who was the main caregiver. I did what I could to help out but it was never enough for her. She is a “christian” and always has her nose in the air and is judge and jury with anything pertaining to my life.
    I am a disabled veteran 100% service connected and suffer fom clinical depression and ptsd. I wrestle my demons daily, yet none of that matters. I went to see mother in hospital and was starred down and not even spoken to. Mother was put in hospice and I found out from an aunt 2000 miles away some days after the fact. She died that night before I was able to go see her. I have asked the funeral director for a private viewing to pay my respects. I cannot bring myself to go to the funeral and have daggers shot my way. I feel my respects have been paid. Let the tongues wag as they may…I have no regrets. R.I.P. mother

  90. Lynn  April 29, 2018 at 4:21 pm Reply

    My mother in law passed away a week ago. My husband is the second oldest of 5, and had a very strained relationship with his mother. His older brother and himself are both hardworking fathers, husband’s, and productive members of society. His younger three siblings are DISGUSTING human beings. In and out of prison their whole lives, drug addicts, can’t keep a job, and lived off their mother until her death despite being in their late 30’s. They never told my husband his mother was even sick, just sent a text with a picture of her in a coma with a message that said mom is dying if you even care. She passed 30 minutes later and we are 3 hours away.

    My husband, being the responsible person he is, called a funeral home, got her body moved there, and was paying for the cremation. Two days pass, as we’re waiting for family members to come in from across the country, and we get a phone call stating that my husband’s dead beat siblings are refusing to have her cremated. They fully expect my husband to shell out $8000 ,which we don’t have, to bury her. Since her wishes were never in writing, the funeral home can’t cremate her without all 5 siblings agreeing to it. So here were are a week later, trying to lay my mother in law to rest., But unable to because his psycho siblings refuse to agree, but also have no money so can’t afford a burial… So lost.

  91. Lynn  April 29, 2018 at 4:21 pm Reply

    My mother in law passed away a week ago. My husband is the second oldest of 5, and had a very strained relationship with his mother. His older brother and himself are both hardworking fathers, husband’s, and productive members of society. His younger three siblings are DISGUSTING human beings. In and out of prison their whole lives, drug addicts, can’t keep a job, and lived off their mother until her death despite being in their late 30’s. They never told my husband his mother was even sick, just sent a text with a picture of her in a coma with a message that said mom is dying if you even care. She passed 30 minutes later and we are 3 hours away.

    My husband, being the responsible person he is, called a funeral home, got her body moved there, and was paying for the cremation. Two days pass, as we’re waiting for family members to come in from across the country, and we get a phone call stating that my husband’s dead beat siblings are refusing to have her cremated. They fully expect my husband to shell out $8000+ ,which we don’t have, to bury her. Since her wishes were never in writing, the funeral home can’t cremate her without all 5 siblings agreeing to it. So here were are a week later, trying to lay my mother in law to rest., But unable to because his psycho siblings refuse to agree, but also have no money so can’t afford a burial… So lost.

  92. dana cald  April 17, 2018 at 7:34 pm Reply

    my mom and i were always going at it. but i loved her so much. she just passed away and now her bitch friends are trying to assume command by pouring on guilt. see, this is why im starting to not like women. of all the times to pull this shit you wait till im grieving to come at me. y not just leave me the hell alone. i’m so hurt over her passing i don’t know what to do but these useless women ain’t helping.

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  93. dana cald  April 17, 2018 at 7:34 pm Reply

    my mom and i were always going at it. but i loved her so much. she just passed away and now her bitch friends are trying to assume command by pouring on guilt. see, this is why im starting to not like women. of all the times to pull this shit you wait till im grieving to come at me. y not just leave me the hell alone. i’m so hurt over her passing i don’t know what to do but these useless women ain’t helping.

  94. Jennifer Lyon  April 15, 2018 at 4:23 am Reply

    I never got along with my scumbag sister. No one liked her, literally. She is a combination of pure evil and unchecked stupidity but in life’s cruel twist of fate, my Mother, Father, Brother , Aunt and dog all died last year. Unfortunately that bitch is still alive and she’s the one we all would have been happy to dig a hole and push her into…still breathing. My Father wrote her out of his Will long ago but had not foreseen being pre-deceased by my Mom so his life insurance was never updated. Life insurance doesnt go by Wills so it doest matter if Satan was written out of the Will. When Mom passed away, Dad got sick so fast and died he didn’t get a chance to update the policy and it was split between the horrible Bitch and myself.

    On the upside, she’s in hospice but only the good die young so she’ll be around another 1000 years. There really are reasons no one liked her, trust me. If you knew her, you’d line up to push her into that grave, she really is the real life Damien. E V I L. Well because she’s in a hospice and living off the State, she can’t inherit money so it all goes to the State. Dad made a provision in his Will that the money go towards paying the mortgage on the land where he and my Mom are buried but…wait for it…the whore doesn’t care and…is too stupid to understand she can’t HAVE THE MONEY so she refused to do that and gave it all to the State.

    Half of his life insurance which was actually his pension from 40 years of work is wasted because shes a selfish stupid idiot. I don’t believe in God or Hell but if there was one then I know that bitch is Satan in the flesh. I hope she burns in Hell and NO ONE better say “oh turn the other cheek, she’s your only family.” She never was family, she is a mistake of nature. She’s a bad seed. She’s only brought pain and suffering and continues to do so. I hope her death is slow and painful. That would somehow be a little ray of ight in all this tragedy. That and when I get to flush her ashes down the toilet.

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  95. Jennifer Lyon  April 15, 2018 at 4:23 am Reply

    I never got along with my scumbag sister. No one liked her, literally. She is a combination of pure evil and unchecked stupidity but in life’s cruel twist of fate, my Mother, Father, Brother , Aunt and dog all died last year. Unfortunately that bitch is still alive and she’s the one we all would have been happy to dig a hole and push her into…still breathing. My Father wrote her out of his Will long ago but had not foreseen being pre-deceased by my Mom so his life insurance was never updated. Life insurance doesnt go by Wills so it doest matter if Satan was written out of the Will. When Mom passed away, Dad got sick so fast and died he didn’t get a chance to update the policy and it was split between the horrible Bitch and myself.

    On the upside, she’s in hospice but only the good die young so she’ll be around another 1000 years. There really are reasons no one liked her, trust me. If you knew her, you’d line up to push her into that grave, she really is the real life Damien. E V I L. Well because she’s in a hospice and living off the State, she can’t inherit money so it all goes to the State. Dad made a provision in his Will that the money go towards paying the mortgage on the land where he and my Mom are buried but…wait for it…the whore doesn’t care and…is too stupid to understand she can’t HAVE THE MONEY so she refused to do that and gave it all to the State.

    Half of his life insurance which was actually his pension from 40 years of work is wasted because shes a selfish stupid idiot. I don’t believe in God or Hell but if there was one then I know that bitch is Satan in the flesh. I hope she burns in Hell and NO ONE better say “oh turn the other cheek, she’s your only family.” She never was family, she is a mistake of nature. She’s a bad seed. She’s only brought pain and suffering and continues to do so. I hope her death is slow and painful. That would somehow be a little ray of ight in all this tragedy. That and when I get to flush her ashes down the toilet.

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    • Angela  December 10, 2018 at 9:46 am Reply

      I literally just spit my drink out laughing so hard at your post. Not bc of your pain but bc if your wording for her. I KNOW AND UNDERSTAND what you say. I feel the same way about my disgusting brother who has done horrible things in life that people don’t know. He is to Satan in the flesh and just a true nasty human being. He would rather do drugs than provide a good life for his kid. Sick

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    • Angel of light  January 1, 2019 at 3:31 pm Reply

      I certainly can tell you don’t believe in God–it’s obvious. There is not one word of Love or tolerance or forgiveness in your post. I feel badly for you, that you are so toxic to yourself and others. I will pray for you, that you will soon know the Lord and learn how to forgive.

  96. Erin  April 13, 2018 at 10:24 pm Reply

    My brother was always nasty to me because he thought I was spending my moms money. Hahaha. For five years she was completely incapacitated and could barely move her own wheel chair. A woman was hired to take care of her in the day time while I worked. I had summers off so I cared for her 24/7. She had lots of money tucked away but I never touched it. It took her income and all of mine to keep her out of a nursing home. But I never touched cds or savings only her social security. When she died . He came close to hitting me while he was screaming at me. I told him he wouldn’t have what he got if it hadn’t been for me. while I was caring for her, he would call me a b—-for no particular reason but that he was sure I was getting something he wasn’t.

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  97. Erin  April 13, 2018 at 10:24 pm Reply

    My brother was always nasty to me because he thought I was spending my moms money. Hahaha. For five years she was completely incapacitated and could barely move her own wheel chair. A woman was hired to take care of her in the day time while I worked. I had summers off so I cared for her 24/7. She had lots of money tucked away but I never touched it. It took her income and all of mine to keep her out of a nursing home. But I never touched cds or savings only her social security. When she died . He came close to hitting me while he was screaming at me. I told him he wouldn’t have what he got if it hadn’t been for me. while I was caring for her, he would call me a b—-for no particular reason but that he was sure I was getting something he wasn’t.

  98. Sue  April 2, 2018 at 6:38 pm Reply

    My Mother in law just died today. She was in a Hospice for about 4 months. My Husbands three kids had nothing to do with her for years. They all started coming around to visit her. I thought that was strange. Why didnt they see her when she was well and happy? Know I feel they think they are all special know and they want attention from the whole family. I asked my Husband why they did this. He got angry at me.

  99. Sue  April 2, 2018 at 6:38 pm Reply

    My Mother in law just died today. She was in a Hospice for about 4 months. My Husbands three kids had nothing to do with her for years. They all started coming around to visit her. I thought that was strange. Why didnt they see her when she was well and happy? Know I feel they think they are all special know and they want attention from the whole family. I asked my Husband why they did this. He got angry at me.

  100. Angel  March 24, 2018 at 1:51 am Reply

    I am the youngest of 6. Disabled since birth. My parents died 5 months apart and Young. My siblings and I have never been close,. I have extreme anxiety and panic attacks. My siblings, angry I wasn’t able to attend m parents funeral on advise of the Dr, decided to tell everyone I was in a drug situation. They left me homeless for 8 months, I have a trust fund that they hold over my head if I do what they want I’ll get the stuff I need. They moved me where I’m insolated. I have no support. I’m home bound and now suffer extreme PTSD and agoraphobia because I was homeless. I will never trust these ppl again. Nothing I can do about it , I’m literally at the mercy of them. My parents would be devastated. So sad

  101. Angel  March 24, 2018 at 1:51 am Reply

    I am the youngest of 6. Disabled since birth. My parents died 5 months apart and Young. My siblings and I have never been close,. I have extreme anxiety and panic attacks. My siblings, angry I wasn’t able to attend m parents funeral on advise of the Dr, decided to tell everyone I was in a drug situation. They left me homeless for 8 months, I have a trust fund that they hold over my head if I do what they want I’ll get the stuff I need. They moved me where I’m insolated. I have no support. I’m home bound and now suffer extreme PTSD and agoraphobia because I was homeless. I will never trust these ppl again. Nothing I can do about it , I’m literally at the mercy of them. My parents would be devastated. So sad

  102. Tracy  March 20, 2018 at 7:21 pm Reply

    Both my parents died 6 months apart unexpectedly. My sister and i are trustees of the Estate. Two hour after my mom died my sister fell and broke her femur and is still in lots of pain after two surgeries. We are best ff, but her son has been sending message that I’m ungrateful b*** and that I’m selling everything for drugs, which is all lies. All’s i have been doing is clean up the house after 60 years marriage. Selling things but splitting the money with my sister which she isn’t tell her family how much money i have give her.
    She is my only living family member and I’m sad that we now can’t do family stuff together because I don’t fell like I can forgive my nephew of all the mean things he said to me. He tells everyone that my dad said that he could have all the tools etc. My dad was a restore of cars. 5 car garage of tools so many tools that there is enough tool for a school. Now the house is empty and I’m falling apart!! Miss my mom and dad! What should i do to mend things or just go on being without my sister?

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  103. Tracy  March 20, 2018 at 7:21 pm Reply

    Both my parents died 6 months apart unexpectedly. My sister and i are trustees of the Estate. Two hour after my mom died my sister fell and broke her femur and is still in lots of pain after two surgeries. We are best ff, but her son has been sending message that I’m ungrateful b*** and that I’m selling everything for drugs, which is all lies. All’s i have been doing is clean up the house after 60 years marriage. Selling things but splitting the money with my sister which she isn’t tell her family how much money i have give her.
    She is my only living family member and I’m sad that we now can’t do family stuff together because I don’t fell like I can forgive my nephew of all the mean things he said to me. He tells everyone that my dad said that he could have all the tools etc. My dad was a restore of cars. 5 car garage of tools so many tools that there is enough tool for a school. Now the house is empty and I’m falling apart!! Miss my mom and dad! What should i do to mend things or just go on being without my sister?

  104. RIKA  February 21, 2018 at 3:40 am Reply

    I am trying to understand the behaviour of my step-sister, who had recently became a widow – with 4 children under her care. I want to know if her behaviour could be link to grief or is it just an excused for her to get away with bad behaviour.

    We (my mum, my step-father & me) cared for her child since the child is 35 days old, as my step-sister had some financial problems then. The child stayed with us for the past 6 years and when my step-sister wanted her child back, we dutifully returned her child back to her. We stayed with her for 3 weeks to help with the child’s transition to minimise any emotional damage to the child.

    During the 3 week stay, it somehow got into my step-sister’s head that we want to abduct the child we returned to her. She started to force the child to stay away from my mum, no hugging, no kissing, no more ‘I love you’. And on the final day at the in-laws house, before my mum returns back home, my step-sister punched her, in front of all her children and even disowned her father.

    One month after the attack, we tried to get a 3rd-party to mediate the situation, to reconcile.
    However, there was no remorse on her part. Now my step-sister alienates her children from us, from her in-laws as well (because they told the police the truth about how she flew into a rage without provocation and assaulted my mother) and she blames us for her actions. She even denies attacking my mother, saying that its self-defence.

    I am still trying to understand where we went wrong. Did we gave her stress when we offer to get her a place of her own? Did we caused her anger when we plan to relocate nearby to get close to the child we love for 6 years? All we did was showed love and affection for her child, that was it. Did those actions warrant such retaliation from her?

    Is it possible that a grieving person can reach such level of unreasonable behaviour?

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  105. RIKA  February 21, 2018 at 3:40 am Reply

    I am trying to understand the behaviour of my step-sister, who had recently became a widow – with 4 children under her care. I want to know if her behaviour could be link to grief or is it just an excused for her to get away with bad behaviour.

    We (my mum, my step-father & me) cared for her child since the child is 35 days old, as my step-sister had some financial problems then. The child stayed with us for the past 6 years and when my step-sister wanted her child back, we dutifully returned her child back to her. We stayed with her for 3 weeks to help with the child’s transition to minimise any emotional damage to the child.

    During the 3 week stay, it somehow got into my step-sister’s head that we want to abduct the child we returned to her. She started to force the child to stay away from my mum, no hugging, no kissing, no more ‘I love you’. And on the final day at the in-laws house, before my mum returns back home, my step-sister punched her, in front of all her children and even disowned her father.

    One month after the attack, we tried to get a 3rd-party to mediate the situation, to reconcile.
    However, there was no remorse on her part. Now my step-sister alienates her children from us, from her in-laws as well (because they told the police the truth about how she flew into a rage without provocation and assaulted my mother) and she blames us for her actions. She even denies attacking my mother, saying that its self-defence.

    I am still trying to understand where we went wrong. Did we gave her stress when we offer to get her a place of her own? Did we caused her anger when we plan to relocate nearby to get close to the child we love for 6 years? All we did was showed love and affection for her child, that was it. Did those actions warrant such retaliation from her?

    Is it possible that a grieving person can reach such level of unreasonable behaviour?

  106. Lucille Mullen  February 15, 2018 at 8:44 pm Reply

    My brother overdosed a week before Christmas. I tried to help him many years ago when nobody cared. I just could not help anymore. He kept going back to heroin. I have not been in touch with my family in over 15 years and they want money. I offered to give 1000. I am upset because the was no obituary, and they basically threw him away. My sister never came to my house to get the money. I’m on a limited income and have not told my family about my illnesses. After all these years I resent they have the nerve to ask for money. They only cared about themselves. I would have gladly given them the money. People told me I was a fool after all these years, they need my help and I was going to do it. My sister basically told me to screw myself. I’m fine with that. I’m just glad I didn’t give her the money. She’d probably use it for herself, since she is an alcoholic.

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  107. Lucille Mullen  February 15, 2018 at 8:44 pm Reply

    My brother overdosed a week before Christmas. I tried to help him many years ago when nobody cared. I just could not help anymore. He kept going back to heroin. I have not been in touch with my family in over 15 years and they want money. I offered to give 1000. I am upset because the was no obituary, and they basically threw him away. My sister never came to my house to get the money. I’m on a limited income and have not told my family about my illnesses. After all these years I resent they have the nerve to ask for money. They only cared about themselves. I would have gladly given them the money. People told me I was a fool after all these years, they need my help and I was going to do it. My sister basically told me to screw myself. I’m fine with that. I’m just glad I didn’t give her the money. She’d probably use it for herself, since she is an alcoholic.

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  108. Brittni Hebert  February 2, 2018 at 11:21 pm Reply

    I’m just completely lost. My mother died January 22, 2018. She had a 9 month battle of lung cancer that was very aggressive. I’ll start by saying that our relationship was already rocky, I am very convinced she was a narcissist. She constantly fought for control over mine and my sister’s lives, playing games to keep us close and control us. After driving myself crazy for years and going to therapy I realized that, and that my sister and aunt are a bit narcissistic as well. I’m 25, my sister 32. My sister had kids young, when I was 11 she had her first and was always a troubled child so when she had kids my mom’s full attention was to her. This led to them having a very codependant relationship. I never blamed her for focusing on my sister and her kids all these years, and admittedly when I became an adult I distanced myself from her to avoid the constant drama they kept in her life. After years of watching her clean up after my sister and my aunt I just quietly stayed on the back burner, and I feel like I never got to have the relationship I wanted with my mom because of all this. I gave up on having any relationship with my sister and my aunt because once I was old enough to stand up for myself, they wanted nothing to do with me since I couldn’t be manipulated. Nevertheless, I stayed around constantly getting my hopes crushed that my mom and I could connect. I finally decided that I needed to cut ties and try to focus on the family I wanted to start with my husband, and then my mom got sick in April. I stayed and helped out but my ex stepdad actually moved back in and assumed the role of caregiver for a while. My aunt came and went and my sister stayed away due to their constant fighting. A few months in and my mother’s ex couldn’t take the drama and pressure and left. Meanwhile my aunt is berating me and scolding me saying I don’t do enough and I should leave my husband and my house to quit my job and move in to take care of her. While I came and helped often after work, she showed up only on occasion. While my husband and I constantly left work and focused on my mom, she couldn’t be bothered to show up and help when she said she would. To make matters worse I quit my job and I tried to help her but she refused, we fought and she made it very clear she did NOT want me to move in. I still was there but after long she just seemed to give up. She wouldn’t eat or drink, I tried to get her to get her meds on a schedule, or take them period and she fought me tooth and nail the whole time. She would tell me I was controlling her and I had no compassion. I tried to be there for her and I could’ve been more soft toward her but admittedly she was completely void of affection and compassion growing up and I found myself being almost angry at her. She was doing seemingly well for a while, she just seemed to not want to put any effort into getting better I was just so frustrated it seemed like all she wanted was pitty. I wanted so badly for her to feel better all she would do is lay in bed, and all the doctors would say is her treatment was doing well so she should try to get back to her life. She was so weak and tired and I tried to get her to eat well, do physical therapy, but she refused. It was like she was waiting for permission from a doctor to live her life, and if that was the end of it all I wanted was for her to enjoy it a little before she left. I saw how tired and absolutely depressed she was and she always said she was tired of being in that bed. Before long we found out that it had spread to many more places including her brain. She spent Christmas in the hospital and for over two weeks my husband and i juggled being there for her, working, and maintaining both hers and our household. I also suffered a miscarriage in the process. During this whole process we wanted to make sure she was never alone, either my husband and I, or one of her four friends were there day and night. She ended up having a stent in a bile duct between her liver and pancreas that was blocked by a tumor, by that point she probably never ate more than 200 calories a day, she stayed dehydrated, and she had constant acid reflux, nausea, cramps, vomiting and would not have a bowel movement. It was hell on her and the procedure took alot out of her. She was on an immuno therapy but by then she hadn’t been able to have it for a few weeks due to other setbacks. The doctor was pretty convinced it wasn’t working anyway, so he decided to do more scans and address other options. When we got her home that week she lost the use of her legs. The next day her doctor called and said her brain tumors had aggressively returned and since she had already radiated them, it couldn’t be done again. My husband used the rest of his sick leave and we stayed with her, we had a portable potty chair but with the use of her legs gone, we had to both pick her up and place her on it, which was excruciatingly painful for her, so was a bed pan. Having discussed her situation, my mother was still very much mentally present, and she agreed to hospice at home. My sister had started to come around but the caregiving was still largely up to me and my husband. My aunt had criticized every move I made this whole time, told my sister and my mom’s friends I was never there and always left her alone, she even told them I was stealing from her because she saw me use a dollar to go get MY MOM a diet coke. Even though, wherever we went or in the hospital my mom constantly insisted for me to grab her cash, or take her card to pay for whatever, my husband and i always refused for the specific purpose of avoiding being accused of taking advantage. My aunt was extremely against her being signed into hospice, but she had to have medical help I couldn’t provide. My husband and I were gone for ONE NIGHT while my mom’s friend and my aunt wanted to stay the night there and help her. Next thing I know I’m woken up at 4 am saying she’s in extreme pain and she’s called an ambulance and I need to go with her because my aunt is going home. Well by going into the hospital she’s supposed to be taken out of hospice first, but my guess is she called their on call nurse, and the nurse most likely said she would be brought to their in patient location. My aunt really didn’t want her going there because that’s typically where terminal people go before they die, so my aunt called an ambulance instead. We get to the hospital and every doctor I come across just looks at me funny as if to say, why is she here other than for us to comfort her? She stays there overnight but now I’ve got to get her re-signed into hospice, but this time her doctor recommends the in patient facility due to her condition. While my back is turned my aunt gets her worked up saying I’m just putting her there to die and what a terrible place it is. While I admit I understand the stigma a place like that holds, she was gonna suffer badly at home. Still i told her we will do whaatever she wants, and she agrees to go to the facility. Of course the first couple days she isn’t too happy so I tell her I’m gonna work on getting her home. By then she’s seldom awake, she can no longer tell when she’s urinating, and she hasn’t had a bowel movement in weeks. I finally get her to agree to a catheter to lessen the pain of changing her so much. And of course, her sister, whenever she comes up there, is causing all kinds of trouble for the staff. She claims my mother is allergic to a drug and if they give it to her again, she’ll sue. My mother gave me medical authority, I tell them to please disregard her because I know for fact my mother has no such allergy. My mother was fading fast and frankly I am pissed so much of my time is spent trying to manage other people’s drama rather than getting quality time with mom. My husband spends the night with her and the next morning the nurses tell us she will probably go that day. My sister, my aunt and I are holding onto her on her bed when she gives her last breath. I am glad I was there but I didnt get to have the conversation that I think we should’ve before she left. The next day my sister is all about getting preparations done and my aunt wants to come along. We go to the funeral home and try to get things done but neither of us are financially prepared for this. My mother was a police officer and she left with a good retirement, and it’s been no secret that because of their constant squabbling, my mother has always said she was leaving everything to me, my guess is to spite her. Well she left all but about $40,000 to her, making me beneficiary to all her accounts. She comes along, not knowing any of this to address her accounts. She is just so helpful all of a sudden. We get that handled and her funeral went smooth. The lawyer comes over and discusses the will. She said my aunt had the opportunity to move in for 6 months, and the first right to buy her house, for the full value. My mother’s property is expensive and my aunt rents, with not financial means to do this. So since she can’t buy it, it states that it must me sold to a third party and the funds go to the estate. She left the estate to me. She always said she would leave trusts or something behind for my sister’s kids but my guess is she didn’t get around to it. I agreed to split everything with my sister but it just doesn’t seem good enough. My mother had devoted all her time, attention and several thousands all my life to my sister and it is it doesn’t even register to my sister that she has been helped all this time. I have had nothing and asked for nothing but my mother’s attention and love, and I feel like she gave it all to them. It just absolutely drove me insane she’s cryin saying that she feels like my mom screwed over her kids and her, while I’m telling her I’m giving her half of it all. Serious money mite I add… but my guess is because I said I would put it in trusts for them like mom would’ve done, it’s not good enough. She said this money isn’t helping her it’s helping the kids. Im being made to feel that becsuse i dont have children yet, im not deserving of half of everything. I’m no fool, if the tables were turned I wouldn’t be getting one single cent or item. She’s sitting there crying because she now can’t rely on mom to solve her problems, and I’ve been lost because I not only miss her but I kind of have to mourn the relationship I’ll never get to have with her. It’s barely been two weeks and she’s too busy talking about money and asking when she can come over to divy up here stuff, let the dirt settle first! My husband is in the military, and had a connection with my mom over their guns. She didn’t specify anything to leave to my husband but he expressed wanting to have one of her guns, and my aunt all of a sudden became possessive saying that she wanted it and always asked my mom for it. She had never expressed an interest in guns one day in her life, while my mom and husband went to the range together. Now my mom and my sister want to come over to sort through her things, I told them I couldn’t join them because I was going to eat at my mom’s favorite place with her friends. We all said when she got better we would go, so we decided to go have a drink and celebrate her. When I said that, my aunt and sister acted like I might as well have spat on her grave. All I said was this was all too heavy too fast and I just want to have a chuckle with her friends. Maybe because her friends have nothing to gain from my mother’s death and make me feel as if I don’t have to watch my back. Honestly my deepest worry the minute that she was getting really bad was that I knew they were going to be at my back as soon as she passed and I was right. This family has always been terribly broken and now I am struggling just to keep my sanity. All I want to do was mourn my mother in peace but now I have to worry about who wants what from me. I have been having my every move watched and judged since I began taking care of her and especially now. I know my mother desperately wanted the family come together before she died but I kind of just want to get her estate handled and cut ties. Why do people have to be so manipulative? Is there a side to this I am missing? Am I being very insensitive or inconsiderate?

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  109. thomas J gowen  February 2, 2018 at 10:29 pm Reply

    I am one of 8, my mom dies a year ago Thanksgiving. For over 14 years I would drive from one coast of Florida to the other at least every 6 weeks. Her 3 husband died 14 years ago and he made me swear I would take care of her, so part of that was to make sure she just did not sit in the house in “Gods waiting room” My wife God bless her put up with taking her on family vacations.

    She was no an easy person to get along with, in fact had she been bringing up kids today DFS would have taken all of us away with the crazy things she did. Hot coffee in your face, being locked out of the house if you were not in by 10, come in the bedroom when I was 8 or so and cover my mouth and nose and tell me ” I can kill you anytime you I want” I tried to break her hold on me but could not di it until I was about 12. Then that stopped/

    Left me with PTSD and to this day I don’t sleep well at night. If I get a cold and my nose does not work I can’t sleep at all.
    Anyway she got breast cancer that then hit her bones, for years I keep telling her that if she did not write down what she wanted done that the fights would be ww3 and ruin the family as messed up as it is and was.

    So as in most cases one sister said that a son can not care for a mother, I told her I could do anything that was needed even if it was to clean her butt. It was a medical procedure to me, no my moms butt. Over a year time the one sister set up fights with the other sons. then she turned on me.

    One night I was there for a few nights, with an other sister due to come over in 4 days to take over. I had taken her to the doc and she got some shots that helped with her pain. I was so happy to see her move about making her own bed, getting her own food. WOW reported to this to the sister due to take over the watch for me.

    I get a call from the one who wanted to control every thing saying how wrong I was and that I needed to leave right then and there. I went to my mom and said M—- just told me to leave, she said please stay, I said fine but she had to get M—— off my back. It took tow seconds and mom looked at me and said ” I guess you better leave then” SO I did. Then for 2 months more before she died M—— had all the accounts her name out on them and told her me and an other brother who also spent a great deal of time caring for her when all the rest never set foo one time in her house for over 10 years.

    Then the sick part started with the brother who is very rich a 1% as they call them and a sister who is also a 1% er they wanted to buy all the shares out of the others and not even just put the house up for sale to see what the market could bring. So I had it put in my face that the will was changed and mother moved 75,000 that was to go to me into the one mean sister names along with everything in the house.

    I told my mother time and again the nightmare would happen and it did and now you have 8 brother and sister not talking except in clans

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  110. thomas J gowen  February 2, 2018 at 10:29 pm Reply

    I am one of 8, my mom dies a year ago Thanksgiving. For over 14 years I would drive from one coast of Florida to the other at least every 6 weeks. Her 3 husband died 14 years ago and he made me swear I would take care of her, so part of that was to make sure she just did not sit in the house in “Gods waiting room” My wife God bless her put up with taking her on family vacations.

    She was no an easy person to get along with, in fact had she been bringing up kids today DFS would have taken all of us away with the crazy things she did. Hot coffee in your face, being locked out of the house if you were not in by 10, come in the bedroom when I was 8 or so and cover my mouth and nose and tell me ” I can kill you anytime you I want” I tried to break her hold on me but could not di it until I was about 12. Then that stopped/

    Left me with PTSD and to this day I don’t sleep well at night. If I get a cold and my nose does not work I can’t sleep at all.
    Anyway she got breast cancer that then hit her bones, for years I keep telling her that if she did not write down what she wanted done that the fights would be ww3 and ruin the family as messed up as it is and was.

    So as in most cases one sister said that a son can not care for a mother, I told her I could do anything that was needed even if it was to clean her butt. It was a medical procedure to me, no my moms butt. Over a year time the one sister set up fights with the other sons. then she turned on me.

    One night I was there for a few nights, with an other sister due to come over in 4 days to take over. I had taken her to the doc and she got some shots that helped with her pain. I was so happy to see her move about making her own bed, getting her own food. WOW reported to this to the sister due to take over the watch for me.

    I get a call from the one who wanted to control every thing saying how wrong I was and that I needed to leave right then and there. I went to my mom and said M—- just told me to leave, she said please stay, I said fine but she had to get M—— off my back. It took tow seconds and mom looked at me and said ” I guess you better leave then” SO I did. Then for 2 months more before she died M—— had all the accounts her name out on them and told her me and an other brother who also spent a great deal of time caring for her when all the rest never set foo one time in her house for over 10 years.

    Then the sick part started with the brother who is very rich a 1% as they call them and a sister who is also a 1% er they wanted to buy all the shares out of the others and not even just put the house up for sale to see what the market could bring. So I had it put in my face that the will was changed and mother moved 75,000 that was to go to me into the one mean sister names along with everything in the house.

    I told my mother time and again the nightmare would happen and it did and now you have 8 brother and sister not talking except in clans

  111. DM  January 31, 2018 at 2:47 pm Reply

    My Mom passed in 2016 and a year later my Dad followed in 2017. I am the youngest of 8 children and my folks left the home to me. However one of my brothers wanted to use the family home to offset loss of his business (he has always had grand ideas that never amounted to much) and contacted me regarding his wishes. When I expressed that I will not involve the home in a business matter he immediately turned against me and tried to rally my remaining siblings against me. He enlisted 2 other siblings to side with him but one seems to have fallen off his bandwagon since then, although it’s hard to tell.
    I loved my parents so and took care of them and we had a great relationship. In my family I have been known as the one who was selfless and would help anyone in my family during times of need. Since my father’s death the instigating brother still maintains that yes he is aware of our parent’s wishes to have the home be left in my name, but he makes it known that he doesn’t agree with their decision.
    I can’t tell you how this whole situation makes me sick to my stomach. I knew from having him bully me during my teens that he has always looked out for himself, but somehow knowing that he’s selfish and opportunistic still doesn’t help lessen the disgusted feeling I have over him trying to turn our family against me. I even had to go as far as blocking him from my phone and cutting off all ties to keep from him badgering me and the same has been true for other members of our family.
    Sometimes I just think I should sell the house and be done with it, but this was never my parent’s wishes. Even if I didn’t start anything I just can’t help but be sickened to what this has turned into. Granted, blocking him and distancing myself has been therapeutic, but i’m still shocked over how he handled everything.

    1
  112. DM  January 31, 2018 at 2:47 pm Reply

    My Mom passed in 2016 and a year later my Dad followed in 2017. I am the youngest of 8 children and my folks left the home to me. However one of my brothers wanted to use the family home to offset loss of his business (he has always had grand ideas that never amounted to much) and contacted me regarding his wishes. When I expressed that I will not involve the home in a business matter he immediately turned against me and tried to rally my remaining siblings against me. He enlisted 2 other siblings to side with him but one seems to have fallen off his bandwagon since then, although it’s hard to tell.
    I loved my parents so and took care of them and we had a great relationship. In my family I have been known as the one who was selfless and would help anyone in my family during times of need. Since my father’s death the instigating brother still maintains that yes he is aware of our parent’s wishes to have the home be left in my name, but he makes it known that he doesn’t agree with their decision.
    I can’t tell you how this whole situation makes me sick to my stomach. I knew from having him bully me during my teens that he has always looked out for himself, but somehow knowing that he’s selfish and opportunistic still doesn’t help lessen the disgusted feeling I have over him trying to turn our family against me. I even had to go as far as blocking him from my phone and cutting off all ties to keep from him badgering me and the same has been true for other members of our family.
    Sometimes I just think I should sell the house and be done with it, but this was never my parent’s wishes. Even if I didn’t start anything I just can’t help but be sickened to what this has turned into. Granted, blocking him and distancing myself has been therapeutic, but i’m still shocked over how he handled everything.

  113. Kellye Adams  January 4, 2018 at 2:18 am Reply

    My mother passed away unexpectedly the day after Christmas. I’m 42 years old, married and mother of three sons. My mom and I were extremely close, talked, texted or saw each other daily. She was my best friend. My sister is 6 years older than myself, she lives about 3 hours away from where we live. Got the news that Mom had passed about 9am on Tuesday morning, we were all shocked. I rushed to her house and cried over her body still lying there waiting to be picked up by the funeral home. Our step dad was home and he is the one who found mom deceased. I spoke with my sister that morning and i was a basket case, have been for the last week…my sister however was in no hurry to get to town. She left all of the responsibility of planning moms service on me and our step dad. I was the one who had to pick out her clothes and music and pictures and everything else, AND make sure step dad was eating, taking his meds, had something nice to wear to serve ce, got his hair cut, etc….I am so very mad at my sister for not being here to help us deal with this. Mom died Tuesday morning, my sister finally arrived in town late that Thursday evening. Services were Friday and she left to go home Saturday morning…..I don’t know that I can get past this, She knows that I am mad at her and doesn’t seem to have any regrets….

  114. Kellye Adams  January 4, 2018 at 2:18 am Reply

    My mother passed away unexpectedly the day after Christmas. I’m 42 years old, married and mother of three sons. My mom and I were extremely close, talked, texted or saw each other daily. She was my best friend. My sister is 6 years older than myself, she lives about 3 hours away from where we live. Got the news that Mom had passed about 9am on Tuesday morning, we were all shocked. I rushed to her house and cried over her body still lying there waiting to be picked up by the funeral home. Our step dad was home and he is the one who found mom deceased. I spoke with my sister that morning and i was a basket case, have been for the last week…my sister however was in no hurry to get to town. She left all of the responsibility of planning moms service on me and our step dad. I was the one who had to pick out her clothes and music and pictures and everything else, AND make sure step dad was eating, taking his meds, had something nice to wear to serve ce, got his hair cut, etc….I am so very mad at my sister for not being here to help us deal with this. Mom died Tuesday morning, my sister finally arrived in town late that Thursday evening. Services were Friday and she left to go home Saturday morning…..I don’t know that I can get past this, She knows that I am mad at her and doesn’t seem to have any regrets….

  115. C. C.  January 3, 2018 at 8:41 pm Reply

    My parents were 88, independent but in failing health. My sister is very successful strong personality, and had spoken for years about ‘looking after’ them, bought houses for ‘them to live in'(that were rented out!). They never wanted to give up their independence, and feared giving her control over them – as she’s such a dominant character. My mother was diagnosed with end stage pancreatic cancer is June, but suddenly my father deteriorated. They called me – I dropped everything and went to look after them. I had been shopping and trying to help them for quite a while. I knew what they liked, and I did things quietly and respected their wishes. My father went down hill quickly, then two weeks later fell at 2am and broke his hip. He was diabetic, had a heart condition and had been kept going on medication for years – he had been a highly respected doctor. My mother wouldn’t let me call an ambulance or give him medication… he was in agony. Eventually in the morning the dr and ambulance took him to hospital. He died two days later-30th June. My sister did all she could to turn my mother against me, she swore she’d look after my mother – but left her the day after my father died to go to Henley and drink champagne… I was dumbfounded. My mother started to deteriorate – I sent my son away so that I could be with her, my sister went to the Bahamas…. at the end of the summer I left my mother to be with my son for ten days, my sister bamboozled my mother out of her home, and put her in her basement. By the time I got back she had really deteriorated. We had agreed that my mum would then come to me, as I had a lovely room with open bathroom. The morning I was to collect my mother, I received a text telling me not to come – I wasn’t needed and she locked me out of her house….. I was distraught. Eventually I was let in, she started accusing me of all sorts of things- killing my father – stealing a very expensive pair of shoes she’d given him…?!? My mother wanted to come to me – and was so happy to be here, my sister then tried to be all loving…?!. My mother and I had a wonderful last week together…. it was hard to see her fade. I bought every type of food she’d ever liked, but she couldn’t eat, it was the illness progressing. Towards the end she was in pain, eventually she couldn’t swallow the pills. My sister had the morphine….. but she wouldn’t give it to me. My mother hated taking medication, for her to ask for morphine meant it was serious. By the Sunday she couldn’t stand, it was so hard for her. On the Monday I managed to get a place in a fantastic hospice, my sister threatened me if I took my mother there…. the hospice said they had a duty of care as my sister was interfering with her treatment. My mother was so happy to be there – it was so peaceful, she had no more pain and she was comfortable. Before the morphine took hold my mother grabbed my hand looked me in the eye and said a heartfelt Thank You, it had been such a privilege to be able to help her. Death, a good death, is a quiet peaceful loving process. My poor sister just didn’t get it, this was something she couldn’t control. There is a lot more to this story, but my lovely mum passed away two days later. Within three months I lost my beloved parents, and my brother and sister. I just tried to do my best for my parents, now I am completely alone and struggling, the people you should be able to turn to, to support each other – are the ones accusing me of unspeakable things…. I am beyond shocked. Bereavement is one thing, and I am desperately sad that my parents are gone, but I am pleased that they are not suffering, and that they had a good and loving life together(60 years!). But the loss of my brother and sister on top of it makes the pain unbearable.
    On top of that I am struggling financially. My sister is the executor, hasn’t spoken to me since my mothers funeral- except to tell me not to speak to the solicitor. She sent an email saying my father wanted to disinherit me! I had been given a house – she claims credit for that too. My mother told me that they wanted to split their legacy evenly. I understand why my brother and sister feel it’s unjust, but I had nothing to do with my parents choices….
    My 15 year old son observed that my sister is most upset that they ultimately chose me to care for them – again their choice not mine.
    I know one thing…. my parents would not want our family to have fallen apart the way it has….

    1
  116. C. C.  January 3, 2018 at 8:41 pm Reply

    My parents were 88, independent but in failing health. My sister is very successful strong personality, and had spoken for years about ‘looking after’ them, bought houses for ‘them to live in'(that were rented out!). They never wanted to give up their independence, and feared giving her control over them – as she’s such a dominant character. My mother was diagnosed with end stage pancreatic cancer is June, but suddenly my father deteriorated. They called me – I dropped everything and went to look after them. I had been shopping and trying to help them for quite a while. I knew what they liked, and I did things quietly and respected their wishes. My father went down hill quickly, then two weeks later fell at 2am and broke his hip. He was diabetic, had a heart condition and had been kept going on medication for years – he had been a highly respected doctor. My mother wouldn’t let me call an ambulance or give him medication… he was in agony. Eventually in the morning the dr and ambulance took him to hospital. He died two days later-30th June. My sister did all she could to turn my mother against me, she swore she’d look after my mother – but left her the day after my father died to go to Henley and drink champagne… I was dumbfounded. My mother started to deteriorate – I sent my son away so that I could be with her, my sister went to the Bahamas…. at the end of the summer I left my mother to be with my son for ten days, my sister bamboozled my mother out of her home, and put her in her basement. By the time I got back she had really deteriorated. We had agreed that my mum would then come to me, as I had a lovely room with open bathroom. The morning I was to collect my mother, I received a text telling me not to come – I wasn’t needed and she locked me out of her house….. I was distraught. Eventually I was let in, she started accusing me of all sorts of things- killing my father – stealing a very expensive pair of shoes she’d given him…?!? My mother wanted to come to me – and was so happy to be here, my sister then tried to be all loving…?!. My mother and I had a wonderful last week together…. it was hard to see her fade. I bought every type of food she’d ever liked, but she couldn’t eat, it was the illness progressing. Towards the end she was in pain, eventually she couldn’t swallow the pills. My sister had the morphine….. but she wouldn’t give it to me. My mother hated taking medication, for her to ask for morphine meant it was serious. By the Sunday she couldn’t stand, it was so hard for her. On the Monday I managed to get a place in a fantastic hospice, my sister threatened me if I took my mother there…. the hospice said they had a duty of care as my sister was interfering with her treatment. My mother was so happy to be there – it was so peaceful, she had no more pain and she was comfortable. Before the morphine took hold my mother grabbed my hand looked me in the eye and said a heartfelt Thank You, it had been such a privilege to be able to help her. Death, a good death, is a quiet peaceful loving process. My poor sister just didn’t get it, this was something she couldn’t control. There is a lot more to this story, but my lovely mum passed away two days later. Within three months I lost my beloved parents, and my brother and sister. I just tried to do my best for my parents, now I am completely alone and struggling, the people you should be able to turn to, to support each other – are the ones accusing me of unspeakable things…. I am beyond shocked. Bereavement is one thing, and I am desperately sad that my parents are gone, but I am pleased that they are not suffering, and that they had a good and loving life together(60 years!). But the loss of my brother and sister on top of it makes the pain unbearable.
    On top of that I am struggling financially. My sister is the executor, hasn’t spoken to me since my mothers funeral- except to tell me not to speak to the solicitor. She sent an email saying my father wanted to disinherit me! I had been given a house – she claims credit for that too. My mother told me that they wanted to split their legacy evenly. I understand why my brother and sister feel it’s unjust, but I had nothing to do with my parents choices….
    My 15 year old son observed that my sister is most upset that they ultimately chose me to care for them – again their choice not mine.
    I know one thing…. my parents would not want our family to have fallen apart the way it has….

  117. Issabelle  December 29, 2017 at 7:27 pm Reply

    I was sole carer for my dad for 5 years until he passed away of cancer, the whole time my mum,brother and two sisters came nowhere near. He has now been gone 4 years and one of my sisters is boasting about seeing a medium and how my dad came through and only said nice things about her, but she won’t tell me if anything else was said I can’t help thinking she is only doing this purely to rid herself of guilt and to make herself feel better god I hate family members.

  118. Issabelle  December 29, 2017 at 7:27 pm Reply

    I was sole carer for my dad for 5 years until he passed away of cancer, the whole time my mum,brother and two sisters came nowhere near. He has now been gone 4 years and one of my sisters is boasting about seeing a medium and how my dad came through and only said nice things about her, but she won’t tell me if anything else was said I can’t help thinking she is only doing this purely to rid herself of guilt and to make herself feel better god I hate family members.

    1
  119. p  December 25, 2017 at 4:17 am Reply

    hi i could really do with some advice here as i feel really helpless and lost.my wife recently lost her dad and one of her brothers has been a complete pain throughout not helping out being abusive to anyone that has tried to helpout but the thing that has annoyed me the most is that when he needed to step up and do something he does the complete oppposite and puts down everything that my wife tried to do, its so frustrating for me because i have phisically wanted to harm him because of his actions yet i know that it is the wrong thing to do.my wife would like a headstone put in place but she is fearful of what her brother’s reaction will be and its making her really upset which in turn is hurting me.we have tried talking to him but his vile outbursts have left us just weak and frustrated. i really would appreciate any advice anyone could give me on this as we are feeling quite desperate…. thanks

  120. p  December 25, 2017 at 4:17 am Reply

    hi i could really do with some advice here as i feel really helpless and lost.my wife recently lost her dad and one of her brothers has been a complete pain throughout not helping out being abusive to anyone that has tried to helpout but the thing that has annoyed me the most is that when he needed to step up and do something he does the complete oppposite and puts down everything that my wife tried to do, its so frustrating for me because i have phisically wanted to harm him because of his actions yet i know that it is the wrong thing to do.my wife would like a headstone put in place but she is fearful of what her brother’s reaction will be and its making her really upset which in turn is hurting me.we have tried talking to him but his vile outbursts have left us just weak and frustrated. i really would appreciate any advice anyone could give me on this as we are feeling quite desperate…. thanks

    • Marie-France  January 7, 2018 at 8:58 pm Reply

      P, let me start with how sorry I am for the pain this situation is causing you, your wife and by extension, your family. The only behaviour you have control over is your own…. your BIL is perhaps grieving very deeply and as a result behaving poorly with his closest family members. I urge you and your wife to seek grief support to help you with this part of the grieving process… all relationships change after a loved on has died. Contact the funeral home they often can refer you to ressources.

  121. KS  December 22, 2017 at 9:20 am Reply

    My father died in September of 2016 after a 4.5 year battle with cancer. During this time my brother did not do one thing to help me or our dad, if it interfered with his ability to drink he wouldn’t do it. His definition of help was to have a 5 minute phone call per day (he lived 2.5 hours away). When he did come down, supposedly to help me, he would go out for the day which meant more drinking and then come back and drink a handle of vodka within a day. My dads cancer got to the point where I told my brother to put on his big boy pants and get his 6 down to the area for good because time was becoming very short and if I didn’t have help I would end up dead myself. He finally moved back down yet was still no help, still the same amount of drinking that if he cooked dinner, the food was so bad my father couldn’t eat. His idiot gf (more on this in a minute) moved down and they got a place maybe 10 minutes down the road. He would literally come over for 5 minutes each day, chug like 1-2 beers, and by beers I mean 24 ounce 8.1% ABV beers, and then head home, I’m sure he also grabbed 2 beers for home because his gf didn’t see him drink the first 2. One day he was over, I hear the liquor cabinet open in the kitchen, I go out and there is my brother, drinking a bottle of booze that my dad loved. My response was are you f’ing kidding me to which he said “well dad can’t drink it so it doesn’t matter”. Well he left shortly after, I proceeded to take every single bottle to lock up in my room, 5 were empty and I never took a drink out of them, and the other were missing 75-85%, this is 15 bottle of scotch. My dad sees what I am doing and goes plan on getting drunk tonight I see to which I had to explain what I just witnessed. Lets just say my dad was pissed, he wanted him pulled over for a DUI, to remove him from the will, the house and the life insurance. I told my dad that he shouldn’t do that, I was trying to be the binding force in this situation and I didn’t want him doing something he would regret as he was dying. So the next day my brother comes over, he chugs his “beers”, and then proceeds to go steal more booze to find it was all gone. My brother acted like a 2 year old that was just told Santa doesn’t exist and stormed out of the house for the night. He came back a day or 2 later and my dad told him, you are an alcoholic, you steal booze that is not yours and then act like that, you need help. My brothers response was F you, you don’t know what you are talking about and again stormed off. A month went by, he no longer drank at the house, and from what I hear he was drinking in his car. When my dad was dying actively, I went to plan the funeral, I had the prearrangements done, but I knew we needed to finalize it. I asked my brother to come help me plan the funeral and I got a nope, I am not doing that, so besides taking care of my dad by myself I had to plan his funeral by myself. Even better was it was still just 5 minutes a day at the house before he went to his place. One night I was so pissed and I go are you f’ing kidding me, you have had more sleep in 1 night than I have seen in over a week, grab your grape nuts and act like the big brother, I need sleep and you can either stay here for the night so I can, or you won’t come back, I will change the locks myself. He “decided” it would be best to stay the night yet acted like a 2 year old the entire time, in fact I still had to get up to do what I normally would do because he refused to learn how to do it before. He died on a Friday morning, it sucked. When the wake and funeral happen, his idiot gf was pissed that my brothers ex-wife and one of his ex-gf’s came to the services. Her response was how dare they, I do not want them here. I looked her in the face and said you have zero say on anything that happens here and if you don’t close your mouth, we will make this a double header because I will put your head thru a brick wall. We started to go through the house and decide who gets what, one thing my brother wanted was out grandfathers and he asked to have it because he was the only one at the time to be able to go to his funeral. Sure, not a problem, you have a reason, I won’t argue. His gf was then demanding she gets the washer and dryer because they needed it, again I told her she has no right to demand anything. Now to flash forward to just this week, we all moved to NC, I was torn apart and broken down, but we shared a storage shed where everything from the house was stored. I went back north for 24 hours for an interview at a hospital and when I get home, my brother decided to enter my place and steal items that were important to me. I got told to f myself, I don’t get to decide what is his and he would decide what is mine. I go to pull items out of the storage shed and I am told I no longer have access to the unit, the unit where I had personal items and every other item from the house was. He, along with his stupid wife, felt that they could steal everything because they did nothing but they deserved it all. Ill take care of it my way, I still have to close the probate case out, so I still have some power, and I am going to make him finally realize what type of piece of crap he is. Watch out for your family, they will rob you in seconds flat for reasons that no one will ever be able to explain.

  122. KS  December 22, 2017 at 9:20 am Reply

    My father died in September of 2016 after a 4.5 year battle with cancer. During this time my brother did not do one thing to help me or our dad, if it interfered with his ability to drink he wouldn’t do it. His definition of help was to have a 5 minute phone call per day (he lived 2.5 hours away). When he did come down, supposedly to help me, he would go out for the day which meant more drinking and then come back and drink a handle of vodka within a day. My dads cancer got to the point where I told my brother to put on his big boy pants and get his 6 down to the area for good because time was becoming very short and if I didn’t have help I would end up dead myself. He finally moved back down yet was still no help, still the same amount of drinking that if he cooked dinner, the food was so bad my father couldn’t eat. His idiot gf (more on this in a minute) moved down and they got a place maybe 10 minutes down the road. He would literally come over for 5 minutes each day, chug like 1-2 beers, and by beers I mean 24 ounce 8.1% ABV beers, and then head home, I’m sure he also grabbed 2 beers for home because his gf didn’t see him drink the first 2. One day he was over, I hear the liquor cabinet open in the kitchen, I go out and there is my brother, drinking a bottle of booze that my dad loved. My response was are you f’ing kidding me to which he said “well dad can’t drink it so it doesn’t matter”. Well he left shortly after, I proceeded to take every single bottle to lock up in my room, 5 were empty and I never took a drink out of them, and the other were missing 75-85%, this is 15 bottle of scotch. My dad sees what I am doing and goes plan on getting drunk tonight I see to which I had to explain what I just witnessed. Lets just say my dad was pissed, he wanted him pulled over for a DUI, to remove him from the will, the house and the life insurance. I told my dad that he shouldn’t do that, I was trying to be the binding force in this situation and I didn’t want him doing something he would regret as he was dying. So the next day my brother comes over, he chugs his “beers”, and then proceeds to go steal more booze to find it was all gone. My brother acted like a 2 year old that was just told Santa doesn’t exist and stormed out of the house for the night. He came back a day or 2 later and my dad told him, you are an alcoholic, you steal booze that is not yours and then act like that, you need help. My brothers response was F you, you don’t know what you are talking about and again stormed off. A month went by, he no longer drank at the house, and from what I hear he was drinking in his car. When my dad was dying actively, I went to plan the funeral, I had the prearrangements done, but I knew we needed to finalize it. I asked my brother to come help me plan the funeral and I got a nope, I am not doing that, so besides taking care of my dad by myself I had to plan his funeral by myself. Even better was it was still just 5 minutes a day at the house before he went to his place. One night I was so pissed and I go are you f’ing kidding me, you have had more sleep in 1 night than I have seen in over a week, grab your grape nuts and act like the big brother, I need sleep and you can either stay here for the night so I can, or you won’t come back, I will change the locks myself. He “decided” it would be best to stay the night yet acted like a 2 year old the entire time, in fact I still had to get up to do what I normally would do because he refused to learn how to do it before. He died on a Friday morning, it sucked. When the wake and funeral happen, his idiot gf was pissed that my brothers ex-wife and one of his ex-gf’s came to the services. Her response was how dare they, I do not want them here. I looked her in the face and said you have zero say on anything that happens here and if you don’t close your mouth, we will make this a double header because I will put your head thru a brick wall. We started to go through the house and decide who gets what, one thing my brother wanted was out grandfathers and he asked to have it because he was the only one at the time to be able to go to his funeral. Sure, not a problem, you have a reason, I won’t argue. His gf was then demanding she gets the washer and dryer because they needed it, again I told her she has no right to demand anything. Now to flash forward to just this week, we all moved to NC, I was torn apart and broken down, but we shared a storage shed where everything from the house was stored. I went back north for 24 hours for an interview at a hospital and when I get home, my brother decided to enter my place and steal items that were important to me. I got told to f myself, I don’t get to decide what is his and he would decide what is mine. I go to pull items out of the storage shed and I am told I no longer have access to the unit, the unit where I had personal items and every other item from the house was. He, along with his stupid wife, felt that they could steal everything because they did nothing but they deserved it all. Ill take care of it my way, I still have to close the probate case out, so I still have some power, and I am going to make him finally realize what type of piece of crap he is. Watch out for your family, they will rob you in seconds flat for reasons that no one will ever be able to explain.

  123. Gloria  December 17, 2017 at 5:54 pm Reply

    My Mom passed away yesterday at age 94. She was in assisted living. I am grieving in my own way here in Florida. Mom was in Nevada. Right now I hate my siblings. They have decided to put the funeral ‘pageantry ‘ off until AFTER New Year’s. No one who is attending lives farther than me. This is mainly because of my oldest sister who has so many ‘important’ things going on that she can’t possibly cancel on people or events. My parents (dad is 12 yrs gone), were very strict Catholics. All arrangements were paid in advance years ago, so this is not a money thing. I feel like this is callous, and a direct insult to my Mom & Dad. Somebody tell me, can I skip the whole function? I am not on bad terms with anyone, just have strong feelings about my poor Mom. They would have cancelled just about any thing for one of us.

  124. Gloria  December 17, 2017 at 5:54 pm Reply

    My Mom passed away yesterday at age 94. She was in assisted living. I am grieving in my own way here in Florida. Mom was in Nevada. Right now I hate my siblings. They have decided to put the funeral ‘pageantry ‘ off until AFTER New Year’s. No one who is attending lives farther than me. This is mainly because of my oldest sister who has so many ‘important’ things going on that she can’t possibly cancel on people or events. My parents (dad is 12 yrs gone), were very strict Catholics. All arrangements were paid in advance years ago, so this is not a money thing. I feel like this is callous, and a direct insult to my Mom & Dad. Somebody tell me, can I skip the whole function? I am not on bad terms with anyone, just have strong feelings about my poor Mom. They would have cancelled just about any thing for one of us.

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  125. Marian  December 11, 2017 at 7:47 pm Reply

    I so hear you on the hurtful things said. It can haunt you if you allow it, too. I have leaned on my faith and cling to command “Honor thy father and mother” to get passed the hurtfulness of my parent(s). I know to expect much less from the estate based on what I was told. My parents had a will, and decision makers for both health and finances. I have resigned myself to the point that I do not know I our family will ever gather as one again for happy events but we do need to get through the estate now that both parents are gone. It has been less than a month since my last parent passed. I do not have a great relationship with some of my siblings but I work to understand where they maybe in the grieving process, but I will not stand silent if I feel pushed but at the same time will choose my words and battles carefully. What my parents had was theirs, to do as they wish. What I will not allow is for anyone put any burden on me that was not the intent of my parents, in the kindness way I know. It may not be what I want but at this point we can choose to do things in loving honest spirit to allow healthy grieving or the alternative and compound the grieving process.

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  126. Marian  December 11, 2017 at 7:47 pm Reply

    I so hear you on the hurtful things said. It can haunt you if you allow it, too. I have leaned on my faith and cling to command “Honor thy father and mother” to get passed the hurtfulness of my parent(s). I know to expect much less from the estate based on what I was told. My parents had a will, and decision makers for both health and finances. I have resigned myself to the point that I do not know I our family will ever gather as one again for happy events but we do need to get through the estate now that both parents are gone. It has been less than a month since my last parent passed. I do not have a great relationship with some of my siblings but I work to understand where they maybe in the grieving process, but I will not stand silent if I feel pushed but at the same time will choose my words and battles carefully. What my parents had was theirs, to do as they wish. What I will not allow is for anyone put any burden on me that was not the intent of my parents, in the kindness way I know. It may not be what I want but at this point we can choose to do things in loving honest spirit to allow healthy grieving or the alternative and compound the grieving process.

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  127. Dew  November 15, 2017 at 10:35 am Reply

    My uncle (who was like a father to me, since his brother – my dad- never did) recently passed away, and my in-laws never contacted me to express any condolences, not even a card. Now next week is Thanksgiving and I feel FORCED to go, but in reality DO NOT feel nor want to go. I don’t want to cause any issues with my spouse, yet It is an emotional stage for me, and I really don’t know what to do.

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  128. Dew  November 15, 2017 at 10:35 am Reply

    My uncle (who was like a father to me, since his brother – my dad- never did) recently passed away, and my in-laws never contacted me to express any condolences, not even a card. Now next week is Thanksgiving and I feel FORCED to go, but in reality DO NOT feel nor want to go. I don’t want to cause any issues with my spouse, yet It is an emotional stage for me, and I really don’t know what to do.

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  129. Irene  August 31, 2017 at 5:51 pm Reply

    I am going through this exact same thing right now. Sadly my dad suddenly passed away a month ago. My mom also passed away 7 years ago. I took care of both of them when my mom got brain cancer I was her full time caregiver. After my mom passed away my dad needed help because he was so lost when my mom passed. So I lived with my dad and took care of him. I was also in charge of their finances completely. My name was listed as joint owner of all their bank accounts. I did everything for both of them. They were my life. I would have done it all over again. I wasn’t even healed from my moms passing when my dad suddenly passed. I am so broken right now and devastated. Some days i don’t even want to live:-( After my dad passed i had to take care of all his personal things like bills, accounts,pension,etc. I was told by his pension depart that i had to report his death to the bank. So i did and right away the bank made me sole owner of all his accounts. My parents had a living trust made many years ago. The trust stated the house is to be divided by all of us 4 siblings total. We are all trustees but my half sister took the main role. Her and my other siblings are trying to force me to hand over all the money to put in a trust account under my sisters name. My dad specifically said many times he wanted me to keep the money when he passes because i took care of he and my mom and because my siblings were already established in life and didn’t need it. The living trust doesn’t state anything about having to hand over all the money in an account that is legally mine now. I was advised by the bank to seek legal counsel. I agreed and was going to pay for the lawyer. My siblings don’t want to and i know why. They are afraid they may here something they don’t want to hear. I still live in the house and am paying all the bills. I also work now. I feel like my sister just wants the control. I don’t trust her to hold all that money. She is my dads step child and she was estranged from him and us for years before he died. Now all of a sudden that money comes into play she is around? I am not handing over anything to them until i am told i have to by a lawyer or judge. She stalks me everyday practically trying to get me to give this money. She is stressing me out. I am grieving for my dad and all they care about is money. They think they can tell me what to do and bully me into doing this. If my dad wanted that money to go to a living trust he would have titled the account a living trust bank account. But he didn’t! So yes i am going through some bullshit right now.

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    • Amy  September 5, 2017 at 6:02 am Reply

      I completely understand. My mom passed away about 6 and a half years ago. Now my dad is sick. I take care of him 90 % of the time. I am his POA, Executor of the Will and Trustee. I have 4 other siblings and some of them are playing head games with me. Some are actually saying I am going to be murdered. I have some making up huge lies. I have cried so many times that I think I am dehydrated. It so awful that I have stayed up all night because I can’t sleep. My daughter is starting school this morning and I am on zero sleep. I also teach my youngest one at home……Some of the lies are me having an sick relationship with my brother. Its gone that far…… Its like game of thrones. I wish I had a dragon…..

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    • Rene  November 14, 2017 at 1:16 pm Reply

      Stick to your guns. I would give them nothing. If she continues with the harassment get a restraining order on her

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  130. Vicki  August 24, 2017 at 5:57 pm Reply

    My family never has been a support system so I don’t know what it’s like anyway, but I was annoyed when my mom wanted to act like everything was normal the first Christmas after my friend & daughter’s dad was brutally murdered in Tower 1 with 6 of his employees. We didn’t even have remains of the body in December of 2001 & she’s there wanting us to go around the table and mention the best Christmas we can recall, bc we had to keep everything positive at all times. That’s what she was like. Then she told me I should tell Mindy (my daughter) you have to “move on” after a death. She used to do the same to my grandma and was always upset that my grandma never got remarried after my grandpa died of a heart attack.
    I was so annoyed after what she said about “moving on” that I was afraid to talk so I said nothing at all. I just couldn’t understand how they were already in the “move on” phase. In December, 2001 I was still feeling a shock so massive that every day I woke up I still felt like I was barely in this world. I don’t know how to explain it but it was the most horrendous emotion (or LACK of feeling) I’ve ever experienced. That not-there-numb feeling that refused to diminish for so long. Even talking about it now makes me afraid it might return. I’ve never felt anything so terrible, it felt almost physical. I didn’t see how anyone could’ve been ready to move on by December of 2001, especially not someone who was family of a victim.

  131. Steve  August 15, 2017 at 2:28 am Reply

    My mom is gone she did not pass she was put down. My 89 father started a relationship with a 32 year old housekeeper. April my mom wrote me a letter stating she needed to come live with me in another state that my father was having an affair. That night she supposedly tried to kill herself by diving face first down a flight of stairs onto a cement floor. My father who can barely hear states he heard her hit from the floor above. Her note was taken as a suicide letter. The previous year she begged me to get her away from him. The months prior he had taken over her weekly call with me controlling it.
    The suicide attempt gave her a crack rib, internal bleeding in her leg, and a skull fracture. They put her in a locked down ward for 6 weeks. I spoke with her once she was heavily drugged. During this time my father anf my sister in law who my mom hated took over as my dad’s admin.
    My sister in law was stripping the house of my mom’s possession and selling on eBay.
    What she did not take the housekeeper sold off at garage sales.
    Mom was relocated to a nursing home apartment setup a mile from her original home. She had 2 falls there. Then one 3 weeks ago. That one fractured her skull causing a brain tear and shift. The apartment was setup to kill her
    No padding sharp hard furniture, no night lights she was required to have 24 hour care as she was a high fall risk and a suicide risk. Her caregivers were cut back at night when she was most active.

    I asked my dad why did you not bring her home. He told me he could have but she would have thrown a fit. And could have lived for 5 more years. He was advised to divorce her by his doctor. As she was a financial burden.

    We moved her to a local nursing home hospice to dry her out no IV pain meds it took a week she moaned groaned and cried. I meet the housekeeper in my dad’s garage my dad cut off our conversation saying do not be stealing my girl. I was shocked.

    Mom passed with me and my ex wife at her side telling her I am sorry. After the burial at my dad’s house the housekeeper sat on the floor between my dad’s legs as he ate his meal neither shed a tear for mom. My sister in law strips the house and my brother helps.
    I lost track of the arguments I had with my dad, brother, sister in law.
    The only option they face my mother was the dirt.

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  132. Ellie Guest  August 12, 2017 at 9:51 am Reply

    HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION RE DISCRETIONARY TRUST IN WILL MADE BY MY MOTHER WHO COULD NOT EVEN REMEMBER CHILDRENS CORRECT NAMES OR BIRTH DATES WHEN MADE , BUT SOLITORS INSIST ITS THEIRS TO CONTROL AS SHE WAS OF SOUND MIND

  133. Les  August 2, 2017 at 4:32 pm Reply

    Oh my gosh, One of my biggest recommendations would be DON’T BE AN EXECUTOR! The grief it puts you through is unbearable. My sister and I were my mothers of 7 kids. Everyone got ***** except me, being told I got way more. NOT. I tried very hard to have everyone included in dividing everything up. They haven’t spoken to me in years and I own lake property with two of them. Everyone in the families, except mine uses it. Only three are expected to pay the taxes because the other owners say that they are their guests. I went down there once this year. I own a PWC that I can’t use, and all of my life I always was the one whom owned the boat, paid the boat insurance, gas. Best part of it is, we all live within 1/4 mile of each other. I have tried to make things right with them but when a couple get together they do nothing but start everything up again. It really hurts and it is effecting my wife and kids, and I know the stress of it will kill me. I am consumed daily by the way they treat me.

  134. Douglas  July 26, 2017 at 12:27 pm Reply

    I’m glad for this website, to know that I’m not alone. My father died in 2009 and Mom died in 2016. I’m past grieving for them. The problem is that my brother, being an attorney, had “power of attorney” and seemed to keep acting as such long after all wishes of the deceased had been fulfilled. Both parents were cremated per their verbal wish, but there was no further instruction from them as to disposition. My brother inserted his own desire, i.e., that he would “scatter” their ashes. Mom had previously (numerous times) stated to me and my wife that she wanted to be buried and to have Dad’s ashes next to her at a cemetery. My brother seems to have known this but ignored it and wanted to scatter anyways. Then I emailed him, “Your power of attorney has ended. By what authority will you be scattering the ashes?” I said, “Since I am the elder son, please send me the ashes (urns) and I will take care of our parents’ burial, pay for it and everything.”

    At this, wouldn’t a normal person say “thank you, that’s so generous of you”, send the ashes and get on their life? But instead, my brother, who has a history of abusing me, called me a bunch of ad hominem names (i.e., accusations without substance or specifics), such as “I’m tired of your spiritual abuse. Your God is too small. Yes, I’ll send the ashes to satisfy your demands, but don’t email me any further.” And so he rejects me right when I exercise the most generous thing I’ve ever done for our parents or for our family. This is VERY hard to swallow. I’ve been told by several pastors that I’m doing the right thing by my parents, and that my brother doesn’t have the right to dictate disposition. I’ll be glad when this is over and my parents are safely ensconced at a cemetery.

  135. William Bratt  July 23, 2017 at 6:01 am Reply

    I lost my sister in 1996 then my Dad on 2006, I never had the chance to grave and now I lost my Mom, I was never very close to any of them But, l loved all of them. Now hear I am alone with no one to tell me what is going on. Not my other sister or my Brother. Im in the Dark alone not knowing anything ( it heart’s ). As I said I LOVED my Mother my Father my Sister and yet I’m still alone!!!!

  136. Lori  July 17, 2017 at 2:25 pm Reply

    My Grandmother passed away in February. The family put together a yard sale/ bake sale/ benefit to raise the money for a headstone. We went and placed the order in March with 1,109.00 that was raised and donated. Well getting close to when they should be ready I find out my MIL, the daughter of whom I consider to be my grandmother had cancelled the order 1 month after the order was made, took the money and spent it. Looking for advice of what to do she keeps saying she will get it back to us….. But nothing this far.

  137. Julie  July 7, 2017 at 11:10 pm Reply

    I can relate to all of your experiences. I just lost my father. The infighting, jealousy, rage, anger amongst siblings has been unreal. I’ve heard the ugliest things I’ve heard in my entire lifetime in the last few days. These things did not suddenly appear but must have been smoldering for decades. It’s heartbreaking. The reality is that you know you may never see each other again. There’s the hope for closeness but you know it’s imaginary. My pastor said death does one of two things – brings you closer or rips the family wide apart. I think these things start in early childhood. Parents play favorites and pit one child against another. The jealousy and hurt is always there. Death brings everything to the surface. It’s human nature for parents to have favorites but when they do a really crummy job of keeping it to themselves, it does harm. You can forgive but you want to walk away for good. And just like seeing your parent for the very last time, you know that you may not be seeing your siblings every again either. It really is…The End.

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    • Bnp  July 18, 2017 at 12:18 pm Reply

      Hi julie im experiencing all that you talked about im the oldest daughter of. 6 children some of whuch i found out about. Close to my fathers funeral day. But it has open my eyes to the fact the sister that i was more closes to was the one who hurt me the most after i subble across a conversation her, my mother another sister and my very own daughter were discussing the care i gave my father before his. Death. And remind you none of the parties never really helped with my fathers care how dare they say theses cruel things that hurted me to my core thank God i am a faithful woman i will continue to hold my head high knowing i did my best at taking. Care of my father until he was called to his eternal rest. But it hurted me so deep that i have consider to not ever contact or be in their presence ever again in this life i know just how you felt God bless

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    • Bnp  July 18, 2017 at 12:21 pm Reply

      Hi julie im experiencing all that you talked about im the oldest daughter of. 6 children some of which i found out about.until Close to my fathers funeral day. But it has open my eyes to the fact the sister that i was most closes to was the one who hurt me the most after i stubble across a conversation her, my mother another sister and my very own daughter were discussing the care i gave my father before his. Death. And remind you none of the parties never really helped with my fathers care how dare they say theses cruel things that hurted me to my core thank God i am a faithful woman i will continue to hold my head high knowing i did my best at taking. Care of my father until he was called to his eternal rest. But it hurted me so deep that i have consider to not ever contact or be in their presence ever again in this life i know just how you felt God bless

  138. Georgina Jones  June 29, 2017 at 6:36 pm Reply

    My son died recently as a result of brain tumors. I was told by his wife that I was not allowed to visit him in hospital because I am not immediate family. The tumors spread and he was admitted to the local hospice where he died the day after he was admitted. If it hadn’t been for a dear friend who had connections to the hospice I would have read about my son’s death in the obituaries. All his wife’s
    family were at his bedside when he died. They have been spreading sick rumours about me over the years so I feel that I have been face to face with evil and hope the heartache will go away. I thank God for my good friends who have loved and supported me especially Margaret….my Guardian Angel.

  139. Ann  June 23, 2017 at 8:34 pm Reply

    I’m very sorry to hear of everyone’s loss and grief. Our grandmother passed in May. She had been diagnosed with dementia and had to be put in an assisted living center and eventually into a nursing home. My aunt became power of attorney since she was the nearest realitive. My mother offered to help as much as she could. She lived almost 400 miles from her mother and had some health issues as well. However, she offered to do what she could. My mother and my aunt were always close. Never any problems between them. My mother also talked tto her mother every weekend and was able to visit her before her passing. When my grandmother did pass my aunt called my mother and was very hateful to her. Needless to say my mother was very hurt by this. My aunt stated that she did not want any of us except for our mother (after she was very rude to my mom) at my grandmother’s burial, but perhaps we could all get together at a later time. Who says that? I dont want you there, but lets get together another time? My aunt did not give my grandmother a proper funeral, did not put an obit in any of the papers, sold my grandmothers house a month before she died (she had poa) without telling anyone and then on top of that, my aunts daughter bought and closed on a house four days before my grandmother died. Where did she get the down payment from? When my mother asked two days ago about the house all my aunt said was, “oh it’s gone.” My aunt went into my grandmother’s house and shredded every thing. That was what she told my mom. My aunts behavior in all of this is just baffling. We feel it is decietful. We would not have treated our aunt this way so why do this to us. Deny your own mother a funeral and not allow any family attend the burial. All of us wanted to be there. My cousin was ready to drive 14 hours to come here. My mother and her siblings just want answers and an accountability of where all of my grandmother’s assessts went. Any advice would be appreciated. We thought about calling the attorney my grandmother used when she was alive. We don’t know if there was a will because my aunt handled all of it. To be honest the only thing we want are answers. We could give two cents about money or monetary things. None of expected anything after her passing. She was not a rich woman but we want an accountability of where her things went.

    • Kim  July 10, 2017 at 7:12 pm Reply

      I am so so sorry your are going thru this. It’s really shocking. I would not hesitate to contact the attorney your grandmother used. This stinks to high heaven. Your aunt needs to carry out the wishes of your grandmother and whatever the will stated if there was one or it needs to go through the legal process of going thru probate. Your aunt needs to provide an accounting log of where the money has gone even if there is none. You should not feel one ounce of guilt, especially if your grandmother had a will. I’m so sorry you are going through this. It hurts so much.

    • Marian  December 11, 2017 at 8:26 pm Reply

      I would say contact the lawyer, if you are told no will, I would seek legal advise with another firm to what your options are.

  140. Pol  May 19, 2017 at 10:32 am Reply

    This past Feb my wife’s mother died of a mental disease. Three days later she fell in the arms of another man.It was an excoworker of hers that August of the previous year after being fired from the job, Later finding out it was for sexual harassment.I became friends with him his a little more then 11 years younger then us, had girlfriend, so we felt safe. It was a hard year, her mom got worse i was up all night with her mom looking out for her. I was trying to protect her for the pain she felt seeing her mom dying of this disease. The friend knew of our struggles and would encourage my wife, this was the first male friend she ever had without knowing me first. Anyhow when her mom ended up in the hospital in early feb, a lot of people were there to support us. Or friend came by and bought food for us and the kids he seemed to be genuine in helping us out and being there for us. When my mother in law passed she began to run around taking care of all the insurance details and everything else you havbusinessl with a death, she was an only child and had to deal with all of this herself. We had family from out of statenso I was distracted while she was taking care of her business.the relationship between then was at first strictly threw messaging one another which I was able to see when ever i wanted which they knew.they started calling eachother threw her work phone and he would meet her at the store. So he pressured her to visit him at his house using a guilt trip saying she never came to visit him and she had no fight in her and just gave in. That first visit she was grieving her mom and he was consoling her but ended up taking advantage of her in her weakness. That day they made out.6 days later he was telling her he loved hef, she told him that this count happen she was a married women. 6 days later she’s back at his house again she has mixed emotions, she doesent want to do anything but he s manipulating her. He then Carr’s her upstairs to his bedroom and begins to kiss her and again she surcomb to his tactics she runs out of his room tells him this can’t happen. He then pulls down his pants and says to her your going to leave me like this? She says really and leaves. While all this is going on in taking care of the kids and family that are over, were preparing for the funeral of her mom. Were talking encouraging one another, in giving her space while she’s grieving her mom,I had no idea what was going on , she never shared how he was meeting her at the stores or told me about him sitting in the car with her. In the past she would share things with me.6 days later she’s in his house and now there having unprotected sex. After the whole, “we can’t do this what about my marriage” she discusses some other issue with him that he experienced growing up relating to an affair he witnessed and he wets mad at her for bringing it up and still ends up taking my wife to his bed. 2 days later the viewing of my mother in law, and threw this were all talking he even reached out to me asking what he should ware, I had to convince him to come to the viewing.the next day we have the burial. They thought it was a mistake it will never happen again, and move on.he would hang out with me after that bring his girlfriend over the house for dinner. We ended up going away on a family trip to kind of remember her mom and start over. But she said she tried to tell me what happened but couldn’t. So finally after a month i believe fear of having an s.t.d and no lounger being able to lie she told me. I decided to stay and better our marriage. Because of her moms death I believe she was week and taken advantage of when she needed a friend she cried on the wrong shoulders. Of course I held a lot back in what happen but that is what were going threw. We do have a strong faith and pray it will carry us thrgrief im wondering if this common while going threw grief?

  141. Pol  May 19, 2017 at 10:31 am Reply

    This past Feb my wife’s mother died of a mental disease. Three days later she fell in the arms of another man.It was an excoworker of hers that August of the previous year after being fired from the job, Later finding out it was for sexual harassment.I became friends with him his a little more then 11 years younger then us, head a girlfriend, so we felt safe. It was a hard year, her mom got worse i was up all night with her mom looking out for her. I was trying to protect her for the pain she felt seeing her mom dying of this disease. The friend knew of our struggles and would encourage my wife, this was the first male friend she ever had without knowing me first. Anyhow when her mom ended up in the hospital in early feb, a lot of people were there to support us. Or friend came by and bought food for us and the kids he seemed to be genuine in helping us out and being there for us. When my mother in law passed she began to run around taking care of all the insurance details and everything else you havbusinessl with a death, she was an only child and had to deal with all of this herself. We had family from out of statenso I was distracted while she was taking care of her business.the relationship between then was at first strictly threw messaging one another which I was able to see when ever i wanted which they knew.they started calling eachother threw her work phone and he would meet her at the store. So he pressured her to visit him at his house using a guilt trip saying she never came to visit him and she had no fight in her and just gave in. That first visit she was grieving her mom and he was consoling her but ended up taking advantage of her in her weakness. That day they made out.6 days later he was telling her he loved hef, she told him that this count happen she was a married women. 6 days later she’s back at his house again she has mixed emotions, she doesent want to do anything but he s manipulating her. He then Carr’s her upstairs to his bedroom and begins to kiss her and again she surcomb to his tactics she runs out of his room tells him this can’t happen. He then pulls down his pants and says to her your going to leave me like this? She says really and leaves. While all this is going on in taking care of the kids and family that are over, were preparing for the funeral of her mom. Were talking encouraging one another, in giving her space while she’s grieving her mom,I had no idea what was going on , she never shared how he was meeting her at the stores or told me about him sitting in the car with her. In the past she would share things with me.6 days later she’s in his house and now there having unprotected sex. After the whole, “we can’t do this what about my marriage” she discusses some other issue with him that he experienced growing up relating to an affair he witnessed and he wets mad at her for bringing it up and still ends up taking my wife to his bed. 2 days later the viewing of my mother in law, and threw this were all talking he even reached out to me asking what he should ware, I had to convince him to come to the viewing.the next day we have the burial. They thought it was a mistake it will never happen again, and move on.he would hang out with me after that bring his girlfriend over the house for dinner. We ended up going away on a family trip to kind of remember her mom and start over. But she said she tried to tell me what happened but couldn’t. So finally after a month i believe fear of having an s.t.d and no lounger being able to lie she told me. I decided to stay and better our marriage. Because of her moms death I believe she was week and taken advantage of when she needed a friend she cried on the wrong shoulders. Of course I held a lot back in what happen but that is what were going threw. We do have a strong faith and pray it will carry us thrgrief im wondering if this common while going threw grief?

  142. Miranda Clayton  May 16, 2017 at 6:32 pm Reply

    I am entirely ISOLATED. I Have no friends, no family.

    My dear sweet late beloved father died in November 2015. A few weeks later my dear sweet beloved younger sister who was also my best friend died almost suddenly in January 2016 that hit me like a high speed midnight express train; a few weeks later my dear sweet beloved mother died in April 2016. This colossal tragedy I suffered was too much for me to bear, I was DEVASTATED, my whole WORLD DESTROYED. All 3 family members died from cancer. My sister had a rare terminal cancer. To make matters much worse for me, the Doctor blamed ME for my sister’s death. I was arrested by the police in January 2016, detained all day for NOTHING, they were determined to find an excuse to charge an innocent person, because the doctor did not like me. My sister’s autopsy was not performed until February 2016. All the police said to me was that they were sorry (not good enough). A year on from my family’s deaths, I am still SUFFERING in the wake of my OWN PERSONAL TRAGEDY. At my sister’s funeral. My mother’s 3 surviving sisters were bickering at the cemetery. They made some nasty snide remarks about me and one of the sister’s broke out into a WIDE GRIN after tossing dirt onto my sister’s coffin. I have never been so humiliated in all my life, it was DEGRADING. I am ashamed to call them Aunts. I was THREATENED indirectly by the 3 sister’s through a male cousin whom enquired at the funeral parlour when my mother’s funeral would take place, they went BEHIND MY BACK. I prevented them from attending because I could not face and tolerate the degradation, and the laughter for a third time. When my sister died, I was frantic. I called my mother’s youngest sister pleading with her to help me and this is what she had to say, “I have to go now, someone is knocking on the door.” Not one of the extended family have helped me, thery DON’T CARE whether I live or die. They are an appalling dysfunctional family. It is humiliating. I have had no support from anyone. I am living in my house, just waiting to DIE.

    • Cary Johnson  June 12, 2017 at 6:51 pm Reply

      I feel for you. I lost everyone over a short period of time as well. The most recent was my mother who died a month after a home invasion where a life was lost in my home. The stress from that killed my mom according to my sad family.

    • Elisabeth D.  July 3, 2017 at 3:22 am Reply

      Miranda. My family is a nightmare after the loss of our mother. My situation is so bad; I am a police officer and my manipulative sister, after we had massive verbal arguments resulting in us each administering a minor shove, has gone on a mission to destroy my career, my life, everything. She has gone state to state, county to county and PD to PD to file unimaginable protection orders and police reports. The hatred is stunning. I am particularly angry because she took my mother and snuck her off to the Dolly Parton concert, on purpose, when it was my son’s idea and I started the initial planning. Then, one day I called my mom to ask her if she had received the pamphlets I typed up regarding “knowing the signs of a stroke”. When she answered my call, they were just getting in the car to return home from the concert, and my mom asked if I wanted to speak to my cousin where they stayed. I said what???? You are out of town??? The deflection in her voice got stranged and I felt like someone has just come and punched me in my soul. When my mom and sister returned I let my mother know how angry I was with her. Nobody cares. Then, one day I get a call from my other sister (one is a cunningly manipulative sociopath who has been adjudicated mentally ill and the other is a goofball) that my mom had been in the hospital for two days. Those two idiots didn’t even have the decency to call me to let me know. They failed to call me immediately and I am eternally pissed off at both of those liars because as a police officer I would have kown for them not to take my mother to the sub par hospital to which they took her. It has been one horrific situation after the other. Interestingly enough, the single most violent person in our knowledge of one another (notice I didn’t call us a family) is our brother who swung at me at a family meeting and in the process of attempting to tiger swipe me from across the table, actually lifted the table on one end completely off the floor. To this day the goofball sister enables his violence and called what he did a “reach”. I might add, he has put her in the hospital when we were younger after once breaking her collar bone and a second attack upon her with a broom putting lacerations above her eye. Whilst all this was going on (mom in the hospital) he was considered so dangerous that my sister went to the security of the hospital and put a “Code Violet” on him. Yet she has made me look like him. She has placed horrific things on public record about me that
      are not true. I now consider myself as not even having a family whatsoever. On top of it, her eulogy was partially written from very beautiful words that I wrote about my mother so that her home town priest could speak fondly of her at the service. Then, I wrote and gave the prayer and blessing at her daughter’s wedding and worked hard to help my niece days before her wedding, which was on my
      Mother’s birthday. All the while, before the death, after the death, before the funeral, after the funeral, before the wedding and after the wedding, she was making police reports everywhere. She hates me because I stand up to her back door and calcutaled manipulation.

      This disgusting chain of events has debased the passing of a beautiful mother. My siblings are people that are my past. I use the bereavement team from the hospice agency and I have been told I have severe survivor’s guilt for the anger that I boldly let my mother know, when, in all actuality, it was the bottom feeder sister who orchestrated everything that left me in the garbage can.

      I know how you feel.

      After I read your entry I knew I had to respond. I’m sorry you are going through this hell. I lost my mother, my nearly 14 year old sweet lab chow and 8 other deaths in 6 weeks.

      I am all alone. No dog, no family and my Best friend now supporting her father in his in-home hospice care.

      I can’t even believe any of this. My soul and heart are broken. I do not deserve the warpath my sister has taken against me, when truth be told, she, in both our childhood and adult life has kicked, pushed and struck me yet I never filed one incident report on her.

      All three of my beloved animals have passed, both my parents are gone, and my family is now over.

      We are going to have to figure a way to heal, grieve, and let others do what they will.

      Your story resonated with me. And I wish you well. Our loved ones do not want is to waste one more once of energy on these horrific aftermaths.

      Anyways. I don’t know you, but really, who cares what those who you spoke of think of you.

      Take care. Speak to your loved ones, for they have reached eternity and we are still in the holding tank of sorrow and sadness. ?

      1
  143. Sabrina Baker  May 14, 2017 at 7:39 am Reply

    My sister was divorced from her first marriage. She remarried years later and her second husband was killed at his job. Now my sister passed away in Feb. From breast cancer. Three weeks later her only child died from a heart attack. Now his father who hasn’t been in his life since he was three or four is stepping in saying that he is the next of kin and will be handling Bill’s affairs. Nothing has been changed over to Bill yet because his death was so sudden. Who is considered the next of kin to handle my sister and nephews affairs?

  144. Lesina  May 13, 2017 at 5:17 pm Reply

    I’m so thankful that I have the chance to share what I’m going thru at the moment. I have 5 sisters and 5 brothers. My dad died when he was 65 and my 3rd brother died in a car accident when he was 20 years old. Now we have left with our mum and 5 sisters and 3 brothers.
    I’m going thru a lot of emotional and heart breaking times as on the 28th of Dec 2016 my niece died of tumor. 2 months after my dearest second brother who works for the government for 32years died of stage 4 cancer. I loved my brother so much as we are so close. We helped our family in everything we can do to improve the standard of our family. Sadly he died in the 15th Feb 2017. Till now I can’t let go everyday every morning I cried and I really need help . I just finished counselling and it’s not even helping. When my brother died he left us with a lot of benefits money so everything is under mum and his 3 children. Sadly my sister’s and brothers are spreading rumors that I came home with $23000 for which it is not true. No one of them talks to me and they don’t want to visit my mum. They thought mum gave me that money but no. At the moment I’m grieving for my brother and also the pain that my sister’s and brothers out thru. Very hard and I’m confused and don’t know what to do. Mum rang me yesterday and told me that she is seeing cars turning in next to our house but when she goes to check nothing is there. Please need help

    • Litsa Williams  May 13, 2017 at 5:33 pm Reply

      Lesina, I wish there was an easy answer. I am so sorry for all the loss you and your family have been through. Regarding your mom, it sounds like there could be a mental or physical illness issue going on and I would prioritize taking her into her doctor to be seen. Regarding your siblings, it can be very difficult to address family rumors. One possibility is seeking a family mediator, someone trained in mediation, to sit down with everyone together and discuss the rumors or any other issues that might be underlying what is going on. Though it may be hard to convince everyone to come together, sometimes having a neutral party involved who is trained in conflict can help. As for your own counseling, if you did not find it to be helpful it may be that you need more time or that the counselor/counseling style was not the best fit. Not all counseling is created equally. If you are not seeing things slowly improving, you may want to call your counselor and go back in, or consider seeing another counselor if you feel your counselor may not have been the best fit. Sending good thoughts to you and your family at this difficult time.

  145. Paul  May 4, 2017 at 9:57 am Reply

    I lost my partner 4 days ago. He died in my arms. Within minutes of the death his half sister was demanding all assets to be split.
    We had been together 15 years and each had mutual wills naming the other as beneficiary.
    So I said the there was a will naming me and I would see to the arrangements etc.
    She then told me I was nothing to her brother as I was not a blood relative.
    The next day she stormed into his employer saying she was next of kin and demanding his outstanding wages. (They refused as I am on his employment contract as next of kin)
    Since then she has demanded a copy of the will so I gave it to her yesterday only to have her scream at me that this isn’t what her brother wanted etc. And there must be another will (there isnt)
    She has always been trouble and hadn’t spoken to him in over 3 months.
    All I want is to lay him to rest and terrified she will cause trouble at the funeral.
    She is ringing demanding what she wants at the funeral and where his ashes are to go.
    It’s so hard dealing with her at this time when all I want is to hide in a hole. He’s hardly cold and I’m arranging the funeral. Registering his death and trying to cope.
    How do you deal with people like her???

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  146. Camille Fitzgerald  February 15, 2017 at 12:43 pm Reply

    My mother passed away October 2016. She was placed on Hospice for Cirrhosis of the Liver. My mom came to stay with me in her last days. She also left me to be the beneficiary of a 10,000.00 policy. My mom and I were best friends. We spoke on the phone at least twice a day before she came to live with me. I lived only 10 minutes away. I was the child my Mom could depend on the other siblings were involved in there own lives and didn’t help my mother at all. I explained to them that she didn’t have long to live. I’ve been a nurse for 19 years so I seen the disease process before she was diagnosed as End Stage. My siblings were I. Denial. Now that she has passed They are accusing me of overdosing her on Morphine to get the insurance policy. My mother stopped eating. Was unable to take care of herself and they never came by to ask if I needed help. I can count on my two fingers how many times they called and came by to visit her. Now they are spreading vicious rumors about me. Now they are saying they want an investigation done into the death of my mother. I’m absolutely shocked that people could act this way. Not only did I loose my mother but I lost my siblings. It’s a very hard situation to handle. It hurts badly.

    1
    • kate  August 2, 2017 at 9:25 am Reply

      Gosh, Camille, our stories are similar in several ways…
      — I’m an RN with 22 yrs experience.
      — was main caregiver livein caregiver of Mum, died in May 2016 {way more to say…]

      as one of EIGHT sibs. I am the only one who is at all sentimental … everyone else is rather detached re: parent’s passing / sell of Dad’s beautiful custom built home to STRANGERS — involved with their own lives/ grandkids … and yes, my once favorite brother , the executor of their estate, is now chosen to be totally cut off from me– [ I was given a mere 4 days to remove all my possessions , when house was not sold until following January… and Mum said she’d allow at least a month for me to move out…}
      except for my loving oldest sister Pat, I’d be estranged from family —
      it hurts more than I’d have ever imagined… wishing you love, Camille !

      1
    • Em  December 5, 2018 at 7:54 pm Reply

      My mom passed earlier this year from an aggressive form of liver cancer. It had already spread throughout her body by the time she started having symptoms. On hospice care, we ultimately made the hard decision to take her off oxygen, but taking her off was in line with her wishes and we talked it over so much, and read and reread her wishes. Shortly after she passed I got in a fight with my father when I saw him taking a picture. He said he wanted to remember her. I said not ever ever like that. I want to remember my mom’s smile that was always bigger than life. The energy and enthusiasm she had for so many things. We’d also heard that certain close friends of hers who we’d trusted started telling people that we’d “pulled the plug” on her, as if we’d given up and wanted her to go. It hurt so much. My mom was never even in a good enough state to start chemo, the cancer ravaged her body so fast. I would have given anything for my mom to still be here, to never have had this happen to her.

      Cancer’s awful. I miss her so much. She never deserved this. She really was my best friend. We’d text multiple times a week, and loved having girl chats on the couch to catch up. Now I’m not even sure how to bridge the divide between my dad and I. It wasn’t just the picture. Less than a week after my mom passed, my father wanted to have a discussion with my brother and I about setting the record straight about why he and my mother got divorced. As a totally inappropriate topic, and certainly in the timing, I let him get as far as their early marriage since he seemed to be going through a chronological history of things, when he stated that when my mom was “going through her women’s lib stuff”, and I pretty calmly, and literally, said that I wasn’t comfortable with where this was going. So at that point he walked out. Then my brother begins yelling at the top of his lungs that I didn’t allow our father to voice his opinion. I feel hurt that my brother doesn’t see how inappropriate and completely disrespectful my father was being, and that I was pitted as the irrational one. My brother and I reconciled later that day, but I don’t know if I trust my dad’s ability to respect boundaries. I don’t want to be around him if he decides that he’s needs to talk about his divorce with my mom. He left my mom for his current wife of 20 or so years, so it’s still hurtful for him to want to talk about this because it brings up a lot of junk.

  147. JoAnn  February 3, 2017 at 6:33 am Reply

    “While you sleep, they are over there protecting your freedom” was Jeff’s last post on facebook. I lost my Veteran son early this week and I want his ashes buried in a military cemetery. His sisters are fighting me wanting him put in the ocean which I do not want. I know Jeff would want to be with his military brothers in a military cemetery. He was so Proud of his service to our country and his facebook posts show that. They told me if I didn’t put him in the ocean they want nothing to do with me and that once I died they would have his ashes exhumed and put in the ocean. They have said some very hateful things to me and it’s so hard dealing with this loss and all this hate. I won’t break up his ashes …he came from me whole and I will bury ALL his ashes. When a death happens suddenly you would think the family would pull together but that is not happening. My 2 daughters haven’t talked to me for years until this death….now again they are saying they will want nothing to do with me if I don’t put him in the ocean. Is there an answer to this situation?

    1
    • Karen  February 12, 2017 at 4:29 pm Reply

      My dearest friend of many years lost her husband who was a captain in the Air Force. He was buried at Arlington. It was an extraordinary service. I think it’s important to do what the deceased wanted or would have wanted. He is your son – you get the call!

  148. maria  January 20, 2017 at 3:46 pm Reply

    so my story from 4 months my father and my stepmother and my sister she was 20 years and my another sister she was 5 years all of them died in accident car the only one save in this accident is my brother he just 3 years old i`m 22 years i don`t know what i do i thinking about suicide but i cant leave my brother alone i really i don`t know what can i do

    • Eleanor  January 20, 2017 at 4:02 pm Reply

      Maria, if you are considering hurting yourself please seek help right away! You can walk into any emergency room or call 911 (if you are in the US). You can also call the suicide hotline in the US at 18002738255 or in the UK at 44 (0) 8457 90 90 90. If you are elsewhere just google suicide hotline and your country name. Your 3 year old brother does need need you. Please believe that although things seem hopeless right now, that with time and support and through finding ways to cope things will get better.
      Many on this site have been exactly where you are, feeling there is no hope. Somehow though,people manage to move forward – one step at a time and one day at a time. Our site is always here for grief support, but the most important thing right now is that you talk to someone about what you are experiencing.

  149. Boone  January 19, 2017 at 3:41 pm Reply

    Seems as though I’ve read hundreds of posts looking for a similar situation as mine but just have not found it as of yet, close but nothing seems to parallel my frustrating grief. I lost my wife of 33 years a little over a year and a half ago, and still miss her tremendously. Many friends said it takes about a year and you’ll start feeling better, well maybe for some but it’s not working here. I really have zero interest in socializing as I don’t feel a need to fill the void of what I once had, I feel that void will always remain empty.
    When my wife passed a memorial was set a week later, for just close friends and family (didn’t know she had so many friends). A little background, when my wife was first diagnosed with this cancer it was already stage 4 and her prognoses was 1-year maybe less with treatment, she went 18-months. Needless to say this was the saddest emotional roller coaster of our 33 year marriage (and I know I’m not alone here). We of course got lots of support from close friends and family, with the exception of my eldest brother and sister-in-law who lives 150 miles away (2-1/2 hr. drive). After battling this disease for a year we never received a letter, phone call, or a visit from my eldest brother and sister-in-law so we decided to go visit them. They were very apologetic stating how bad they were and even shed a tear or two as we were leaving, and we never heard from them after that day. My niece and nephew and their respective families were at the memorial but not their mother and father. I received a card in the mail from them about a week and a half later with a little note of pleasantries as to what a wonderful sister-in-law my wife was to them and how she’ll be missed. They said also in the note that they did not know she had passed until they discovered it on the internet, and they live 5-6 miles away from their son and daughter whom attended the memorial.
    They have not reached out to this day which is mind boggling to me, not so much the dis-concern they showed while my wife was still here, but the fact that he’s my own blood and shows no concern what so ever as to how I’m doing. I could never do this should the rolls be reversed, just unconceivable to me I can’t, get my arms around it. Sometimes I just want to get in the car drive up to their place and point blank ask them “How can you two be so self-serving, selfish, and uncaring, to a member of your own family”? Then again……..I don’t want to force them to come up with another nauseatingly poor excuse. Bear in mind, I’m not disjointed about the fact they did not attend the Memorial, it’s we never heard anything from them for 18 months since my wife’s diagnoses/prognoses, nor 18 months since she has passed (Sorry, I feel as thou I’m seething as I’m writing this), it’s just beyond my comprehension. I could go on and on with this issue but I think I’ve explained myself sufficiently without boring people to death with other events that basically portray the same behavior.
    I’m looking for answer’s here. Sometimes I feel the need to forgive them, other times I feel it’s just unforgivable. The last point here is that my eldest brother and sister-in-law are now 80-years old, and I’m 64 so anything can happen from one day to the next. Somehow I feel compelled to not go to our graves never speaking to one another again. Do I need to be the big brother here?

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    • cary  September 16, 2017 at 9:06 am Reply

      Sadly I would just like to tell you that some people will never “get it” Be glad that you had a loving wife and that you have compassion for others; sometimes people don’t change and the ones that act disgusting when someone dies were probably disgusting people to begin with. I hope you get to feeling better and that sad memories of your wife are replaced with the joyful memories of your life together.

    • Donna  November 8, 2017 at 2:22 am Reply

      Hi Boone,

      I’m sorry for your loss. Regarding your brother in his 80s, maybe his mind isn’t working well, or he or his wife are dealing with a health issue. Either way, how about speaking your truth to them; how you were hurt by their lack of presence and care. And then, let go as best you can knowing you did your best.

      I find this site comforting to know many other people experienced distant or unsupportive or mean family members and so-called friends after the death of a loved one. We’re not alone. You’re not alone.

      Let’s think of wonderful memories being with our loved one.

      Be well.

    • Lola  July 3, 2019 at 6:25 pm Reply

      This post is for Boone. Only just saw your post and it is so very similar to my situation but first let me just say I hope things have turned a corner for you now and you at least have some peace with your brother. My mother died suddenly in 1987 when myself and my younger sister were 24 and 26 years old. Our dad very quickly met and married another woman who had adult children and grandchildren of her own and my sister and my families very quickly became a distant memory for him. There was sporadic contact but nothing like before. Fast forward to 2018 and my younger sister now aged 54 and a widow died very suddenly at her work from a massive brain hemorrage .. There was no goodbyes she was gone by the time she got to accident and emergency. To say I was shocked is an understatement but not as shocked as by my now 80 year old dads reaction. It was as if I had told him a work colleague or a neighbour had died someone you would maybe say hi to in the street!!! We were his only children and his reaction totally heaped heartache on the shock and grief. I have tossed and turned so many nights with this. Did she not matter to him? Did he ever really love us? So much torment. I still don’t have the answer but have come to realise that maybe as you get older you just don’t feel the shock in the same way. And what appeared to me to be callous unfeeling behaviour was just his way of dealing with it. I still have days and nights when it torments me but am slowly realising grief is a different beast for us all and we all have to navigate our way through it as best as we can. There is no right or wrong way . I truly hope your situation reconciled in some way. Mines is still in progress . But there is no lonelier feeling than the thought that your own flesh and blood just does not care enough to reach out at your time of need.

  150. Lizzie  January 14, 2017 at 3:21 pm Reply

    My mother passed away in April 2016, I took care of my Mom for 8 years, She had an Alziemer. We are 4 sisters. My two sisters are married, the youngest one is ignoring me everytime i come visit home. I happy i did everything for my Mom, before she died , i renvated her house, and i have spend so much money and i even hired someone to take care of her because i was working. Today all my Sisters does not like me, when i come visiting home they ignore me. The youngest is worse because she think now she owns the house. I don’t know why. I have my own house but i can tell you both 3 of my sisters don’t feel comfortable with me around. The 3’rd one, she was since took the mother saying she was going to appoint a lawyer for my mothers Estates. But i know nothing, she never came back to brief us of how much she has used and how far is the progress. Remember she took the money after my mother’s funeral last year April. They really hate me and i feel i must just leave them and mind my own business. I am the eldest in the family. But they treat me shabbily.

    • Clare  September 17, 2017 at 3:03 pm Reply

      I feel so sad for you. I have had a long time to process what happened in my family after my mother died six years ago. I was the one who looked after her, though I live some way away, when she was ill at home and later in hospital. My brothers lived nearer, but did not do anything to care for her. After she died, they turned on me – I now really believe it is because they feel guilty that I did all the care and they did nothing, and so they take it out on me. There is no sympathy or understanding for the fact that I am grieving for my mother as they are, just blame and vindictiveness. I have not even been told what it is they object to. The things they have done since defies belief, so mean and cruel. I cannot believe my own family members can act like this, but it is all based on envy and guilt.

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    • Clare  September 17, 2017 at 3:10 pm Reply

      I feel so sad for you. I have had a long time to process what happened in my family after my mother died six years ago. I was the one who looked after her, though I live some way away, when she was ill at home and later in hospital. My brothers lived nearer, but did not do anything to care for her. After she died, they turned on me – I now really believe it is because they feel guilty that I did all the care and they did nothing, and so they take it out on me. There is no sympathy or understanding for the fact that I am grieving for my mother as they are, just blame and vindictiveness. I have not even been told what it is they object to. The things they have done since defies belief, so mean and cruel. I cannot believe my own family members can act like this, but it is all based on envy and guilt. I hope you can eventually move to a place of understanding where they are coming from (probably childhood issues causing resentment as in my case), and then gradually forgive them, even if it means you have no futher contact – if that is the right thing for you. You need to eventually forgive for your own sake more than theirs, but it is incredibly hard work and takes a long time. I am still not totally there yet.
      Good luck to you in coping .

  151. CARAVAGGIO  December 7, 2016 at 6:51 pm Reply

    As a family, we have had an awful year – six months of hell with our daughter whose relationship broke up after 7 years and kept trying to take her own life , hanging, overdoses , one so severe that we nearly lost her . We had just got back into some kind of semblance of a life when my unmarried brother, a priest , died very suddenly 8 weeks ago .
    As a professional tax accountant , I began the process of sorting out the estate but my younger brother raised immediate objections to me doing this accusing me of not being able to cope – I was coping fine, doing the same job a solicitor would have charged us thousands for to get to Admin stage ( my brother left no Will) – in fact , it was therapeutic to be of some use .
    My deceased brother and I shared our faith – my younger brother and his family have none ; they did nothing towards the funeral , contributed nothing financially or practically and my younger brother was ( allegedly ) according to his wife , a mess . Spending his time drowning his sorrows in the pub , taking useless “advice” about estate processes from just about anyone who would talk to him .
    By contrast, I coped OK to begin with, my brother was where he had aspired to be all his life – with Jesus , with God – I could not grieve his death in the same way although I miss him unimaginably – he was ever my rock , my moral compass , the voice of reason and fairness .
    As I began to process his estate , things were said by my sister in law that didnt ring quite true – things like my late brother had promised to help both myself and my younger brother financially , but he would help my younger brother “more” . It hurt , but to begin with, I took it in good grace .
    As I have looked deeper and deeper into my late brothers affairs , I have found irregularities I never expected to find – assets missing, things missing that I had given him for birthdays and Christmas and my sister in law would never give me a set of keys to the house my brother had just bought to retire into – I would ferry goods and chattels to the house undertaking a 110 mile round trip twice a week only to have to wait of my sister in law to get home from work , to gain access to the house .
    When my surviving brother realised that the assets in the estate were far more than we ever anticipated , he became very secretive and acquisitive , as did my sister in law.

    We each have three children , the nieces and nephews that my late brother adored and talking to other church members , it became clear that despite my brother leaving no Will, he had expressed verbally that he wished to leave his death in service benefit which was held in a discretionary trust , to be split between his 6 nieces and nephews plus a donation to the church – the DIS payment is sizeable .
    All the trustees required was confirmation that my surfing brother and I would be willing to divide the DIS benefit in half – I readily agreed but my younger sibling and wife didn’t – they said that my deceased brothers expression of wishes should be adhered to.
    My late brother was so unwell in the last year of his life, not only was his judgement flawed , he could take services and not remember doing them afterwards , lost things an accused me of moving them or taking them away ( he lost his birth certificate – when I cleared out the rectory , I found it exactly where I had told him it would be ) – he often took his medications twice , self medicating on very strong drugs , he didn’t even recognise one of my sons .He was clearly not of sound mind most of the time .
    Since my surviving brother has declined to split the DIS payment , he and his wife have cut off all contact with me ; they even rang the solicitor acting for us all, to change the dates of the Probate appointment without telling me – but I caught them out by ringing the same firm to re-arrange my own appointment with them – and in doing so , I will see the acting solicitor before them.
    Alarm bells are ringing in my head ; I now believe that there was at best, coercion taking place so that my brother and sister in law would get the DIS benefit without telling me , and at worst , outright fraud . The worst thing is that they are not only defrauding me and my kids , but also their own who have already been told not to expect much from their late Uncles estate .
    I know my lovely deceased brother well; I know he would have wanted that DIS payment split seven ways , between his 6 nieces and nephews and the remaining 7th to the church – the rest of his estate , as he died intestate , will inevitably come to myself and my surviving brother .
    I hate myself for being so suspicious and untrusting because it goes against my Christian principles and those of my late brother – but its making me ill . I already have a life limiting condition and my stress levels are unprecedented now .
    I want to believe that my sibling and his wife are completely “above board ” – but , I’ve worked in forensic accounting for 36 years – if it looks like an elephant, walks like and elephant and smells like one too, its not going to be a mouse .
    I’ve never felt so mentally and spiritually , physically and psychologically low – I cannot grieve my beloved brothers death properly because of the actions of my sibling and his wife . I have no choice but to put this situation before a court – I have lost my precious big brother and will now lose the other one . I search my soul daily to find answers , but it comes down to one thing only – for years and years , my younger brother and his wife have always had their hands in my late brothers back pocket – cars , loans , mortgage payments etc – whilst I stood on my own two feet – I’ve always felt it rude to ask family for money .
    I’m fighting to protect my late brothers name and fulfil his wishes as best I can, by talking to the people who worked with him and knew him for decades – which was how his funeral was put together – my brother and sister in law regarded the funeral mass as “Cultish” – one of their children refused to throw the customary earth onto the coffin at his interment – it hurt me that whatever they thought about David’s faith and his funeral wishes , they refused to honour him in his faith .

    I am broken by this situation but determined to fight on , not just for my own children and their futures but for the futures of my brothers children as I know my late brother would have wanted to leave them this discretionary trust money . My sibling admitted to me in conversation that he did not intend to give his kids anything from the estate as he had never had a “leg up” in life – which , I pointed out , was totally untrue .

    Obviously , I do not know who is named on the trust document concerned , but another trust scheme on which my sibling was named as sole beneficiary , has been overturned by the trustees and that fund will be split equally between myself and my brother – I only know that I am not named myself – well, thats fine , but I deem it totally inappropriate that my sibling and his wife , who earn at least twice as much as we do , will deprive my nieces and nephew and my kids of the legacy I know my deceased brother , had he been fit enough to make proper decisions , would NEVER have denied them .
    The moral of this tale ? Leave a Will , make sure discretionary trusts are properly notated and above all – BE KIND AND FAIR – put personal greed aside and think about what your deceased relative would really want to happen .
    This is a unique post on here because its about an unmarried man with no children who died very suddenly – but it has split a family asunder – and I doubt I will ever speak to my sibling and his wife again – its the last thing my beloved brother would have wanted or could have foreseen – as I share faith and my sibling does not, he has no fear of the afterlife and having to face our brother again and explain his actions – on the other hand , I do have faith and would feel damned eternally if I dont see this through to the proper conclusion – long post, I am sorry for this .

    • Litsa  December 9, 2016 at 8:59 am Reply

      Don’t be sorry for the long post! I am so sorry for what you are going through and I hope the process of writing it out gave some small feeling of purging! It is truly a tragedy what estates can do to divide families. I wish I had magical words of wisdom, but since I don’t I would just encourage you to remember that (as much as you might want to) you cannot change/control the actions of your brother and sister in law. The only person you can control is yourself, doing the things you need to do and also taking care of yourself. Sending good thoughts….

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  152. Barb  November 25, 2016 at 10:23 am Reply

    My Dad passed away 3 weeks ago. Each of the 4 adult children and 10 grandchildren were very close to him. Mom passed away 11 years ago. Dad had been ill for more than a year but wanted to be in his home. Youngest sister and older brother lived in town and helped out the most. Myself and other sister lived 2-4 hours away, myself caring for a severely disabled adult son.we did our best, visiting often, helping out and arranging his care. C, the youngest sister got her adult daughter to move in with him though right from the start, wouldn’t stay weekends. We also had some nursing care so she mainly made sure he had meals (though never cooked)& that he took his pills. We paid her caregiver wages, room& board and internet, at 25- she had not worked or gone to school for 5 years. So this was a bonus to her. She complained constantly about being tired. Couldn’t be alone at night so we hired her brother to be ther 5 nights a week in case dad needed help to the bathroom – another $300 a week and he mostly just played video games. Next he needed evening nursing care so we added that. Next the daughter needed a week off (after 5 months) – we worked that out despite all the other issues we were dealing with. Everyone knew that when Dad passed – the jobs with him ended and that included the staying in his house during the week. Well, apparently not. C asked us several times during funeral arranging about her daughter living in the house. We didn’t think it a good idea as she would be isolated (family is in a different city), no friends nearby or transportation as she does not drive. Also she had not been at the house since he died (2 weeks)& lived with her Mom on weekends. She kept pushing so the 2 other sisters each explained why not in Clear but kind emails. Then, without replying, she moved her daughter in anyway. Brother & I as executors told us to move out as we needed to secure the house and changed the locks. C wrote horrible messages about all of us on Facebook, about our greediness (every single thing will be divided evenly & fairly)& how we value money more than people and tossed family out on the streets. So the FB community believes we are horrible money grubbers. Her kids wrote similar. Then they unfriended us. Then came the scathing emails. Her greatest beef with me? I didn’t give her friend $20 for gas when she picked me up from the airport in the day Dad died (I gave her the $5 I had in my purse). I had just driven 200 miles, taken 2 flights and spent $1,000 on travel – all the day he died. She had not wanted to pick me up either. She also,left my husband’s name off the obit and when I told her I was hurt by that she snapped – “well I don’t have one – how would I know.”. Now she has informed all of us that she wants nothing to do with us (despite years of us helping her physically, emotionally and mostly financially). She is taking her inheritance and thumbing her nose at us. Told us to sell off everything including the house and give her her share. Oh and as for the cottage we all jointly inherited? We must pay her out for her share as she doesn’t want it and by the way – don’t use any of dad’s money for the repairs it needs – just cut her a check! Yes – my sister has turned into Godzilla and both she and her daughter are accusing us of being the wrongdoers. Just unbelievable. We just want to feel the sadness and grieve our beloved Dad. Not feel hurt and anger and confusion. It feels like a train wreck and we lost 5 family members – not just 1

  153. Ashleigh  November 8, 2016 at 8:46 pm Reply

    My mother passed away a few days ago. I am one of several children. The local florist makes a registry of sympathy items immediate family liked so they can offer suggestions to those not sure what they want to send. My sister in law acted like a “monster bride” adding a large number of suggestions of what she liked to this list. I don’t want conflict at this time, but how is the best way to divide these items after the funeral? My brother and his family did nothing to help my elderly mother such as mowing the yard, shoveling snow or taking her to appointments. I want to be fair about distributing the sympathy gifts among my siblings. Any suggestions?

  154. Mike  August 27, 2016 at 6:40 pm Reply

    You don’t have permission to access /My best friend of 30 years died recently. In grief, I reached out to another old friend who I fell out of touch with. He called the family to offer condolences. Unfortunately unbeknownst to us, there was a rift between the Mother, and the father that persists, (they are divorsed), and the Mother chose not to tell the father of my friend’s passing, (she said it was my friend’s wishes). My other friend called to offer the family his condolences and ended up inadvertedly telling the father. So Now I have the mother mad at me and the father trying to get in touch with me to get details, because the mother hangs up on the father when he calls her. I have blocked all parties involved numbers as I don’t want to be involved in what is a family affair further. It wasn’t my intention to cause trouble when I reached out to my other friend in grief, but the mother blames me for this mess. I guess I just need some one who’s not involved to tell me if I did anything wrong and if I’m handling things right. Thanks for your time.

    • BHE  October 26, 2016 at 10:21 pm Reply

      You did nothing wrong. It is unbelievable that parents could hate each other so much to not share that information. Neither side should be hassling you.

  155. MelliElli  August 20, 2016 at 4:32 pm Reply

    My mother just recently got diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in the bone after breaking her hip. My sister never calls and refuses to visit because she says and i quote “Now mum is dying i won’t get a cent.” My sister never cared for either of my incredibly ill parents even when my mother was initially diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago. She needed constant care as did my father and i took much time off work to help. Would do so again in a heartbeat. She neither works and has older kids. Yet she feels she is entitled to my parents money which i feel should remain put for any treatments my mum may need and after that my father. Yet she squabbles with my heavily grieving brother who now cares for my parents to push my mother whom is in hospital now to rewrite the will so she and her children get their money. How does one even settle such greedy behaviour? I want all money to remain for my mums care and funeral and anything my dad may need as he is very sick too. My brother agrees but my sister is making my mum’s final moments so very hard with her money grubbing vindictiveness. She won’t call my father or mother but consistently complains that as eldest she deserves most of their money and possessions. I’m the one taking on my mother’s final wishes and trying so hard to help my brother and father deal with their grief. My sister is only in contact via text to ask how the inheritance situation will be done. We’re at our wits end.

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  156. Linda  August 13, 2016 at 6:05 pm Reply

    My best friend passed away 3 mos ago, very suddenly she had a blood clot in her leg, I was texting her at the time, her and I knew each other for 13 years but we were just family by marriage, almost 2 years ago something happened one day at a barbeque and we just clicked it was a friendship were we always were together and we hugged each other, held hands, did everything together, we could talk for hours about anything and always laughed together, when I would go to her house I would ask if her other friend was coming and she would say no!! I want u all to myself, I know how much she loved me and I her, but her other friend who lives around the corner was friends with her 3 or 4 years, but they didn’t have the connection and bond we did.. we did everything together 4 or 5 days a week we seen each other and text everyday all day, when she passed the other friend was suppose to go look at her leg and instead of calling 911 when she didn’t answer she took an hour going home n getting tools to break open the security doors, when she got in seen she was blue called 911 they said my sweet angel had been dead 10 minutes by then, they called me I rushed to hospital but she was gone, at the funeral everyone from her family lives in diffrent states and they called her the best friend and she let am , when I said my speech people said she was only one not crying and since then I have backed away n let her play the part.. also my ex brother in law who cheated on my sister n left her after 20 yrs moved in her house so I have mourned my friend who I cry about everyday all alone because our family’s aren’t close now because of the brother in law who cheated on my sister, it breaks my heart that her husband n son haven’t said to people that i was her best friend because they know it.. Im just very hurt because alot of things that I gave my friend people took so when I went there later to pick something out for me all the things I gave her were gone.. I feel betrayed by her so called bff, and won’t answer her texts or speak to her because she knows this isn’t right.. I also know her husband n son are grieving and probably don’t even realize it ..

  157. Deana Forientini  July 29, 2016 at 7:13 am Reply

    Vultures…my husband had a heart attack and was very ill. He was released to come home for a short while. 36 hours later his son (my stepson) entered my house without my invitation (stepson’s key which was to be returned) with family cousins and reps to hold family court – and to persuade my husband with an ultimatum to ‘pack my bags within 24 hours, divorce me so that his 36 and 37 year old lazy stepsons with girlfriends and hoard of animals could move in.” Both our mental capacity issues were raised as well as concerns about my husband being held a hostage against his will! I was aghast and horrified. My sick husband told them to go and I threw them out shouting at them that they had no right to come into my house. This is a pre-empt of what will occur when my husband dies. Vultures who think they are God!

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  158. dave jacobson  July 28, 2016 at 9:08 am Reply

    My comment/question is simple. For personal reasons I do not want to be referred to as “beloved son/brother” on the family headstone. My family refuse to comply with my request – what canI do?

  159. Linda  June 11, 2016 at 11:50 am Reply

    My Mom passed away recently. , My Dad already passed a few years back. There was no will, In the state we live in our law states that when their is no will ( and also their was no house,no real property) then personal belongings of the deceased go to the surviving children of the deceased, Equally divided. My Mom just rented a apartment.) , My brother did not follow this law, He made all the funeral arrangements and paid for them( dont even know with what money?) Was their any in the estate, pension fund., life insurance, We dont know,, but He called us and left us a message that told us of Moms passing after everything was arranged and payed for so we couldnt have a say in anything regarding the funeral. As well as Church Arrangements. , Who was doing readings, who were pall bearers, We couldnt take a part in any decision making,because everything was done by My Brother. . The funeral home was nice and polite but sorry that their was nothing they could do because everything was already paid for by my brother who knew of Moms passing first and then put everything into action. , Then after the ensuing days, my brother cleaned out Moms apt ( we were not allowed in because only my brothers name was on the lease for the apartment with a phone and address info for contact information so the apt complex director would not let us into Moms apartment.. This led to My brother taking everything and did not divide equally between another brother and myself < Everything ( personal belongings, any money left in accounts, etc should have been divided one third) So because of no will, , My brother only, gave us a box of pictures of our family my parents had and of our children and some small gifts we had given to Mom and Dad thru the years, and some little trinkets, plaques etc we did not even ask for. ( We also noticed some expensive gifts we did give were missing) Other than that, He a emptied the entire apt and its belongings and kept them or gave them out to whoever He chose. . This is a sad situation, We asked my brother for certain keepsakes we wanted, ( copys of family genealogy in the Bible, and or the family Bible, and copys of old family pics of great grandparents and relatives on both sides of Mom and Dad and copys of parents Wedding album and some other personal Keepsakes we would have liked to have which He didnt give us. , We did not get one third of everything in the apt by any stretch of the imagination, . He wont answer texts ,phonecalls or answer letters, We were told we could bring it to court and have him document where all the money went and to follow the law and He should have split personal belongings three ways with surviving children. ( If you all cant agree on a item you can buy each other out) . At first I thought about court but then I found out you really dont need a lawyer and you fill out a administration form and it seemed like alot of work and all the belongings were already given out,, To get one third also some things may have had to have been liquidized.if you all cant decide on who wants what and before it is given elsewhere, You need to come to agreements. None of this happened. Its a sad situation that you have to deal with on top of death, I wish that Mom would have taken some steps to take care of this but she died unexpectantly and guess she thought she had time, But.My brother thought He could break State law and take what He wanted and not divide equally between surviving children. , He has gotten away with it, He will have to live with this on his conscience. ( if its working properly) , A Good and Holy Priest told me what matters is reconciliation took place with My Mother and myself before her unexpected death and that is very important. Our daughter encourages to look at Saint Francis with his poverty and think like that. You dont need material things, ( just memorys). Last I texted my brother saying He did not give us all the personal keepsakes we asked for and if He could ever find it in his heart to give us them to us one day we would be greatful. I doudt that day will ever come that He responds back, but the peace that I have knowing that I didnt break any laws and My brother was informed He did,, you cant put a price tag on , ( Having peace) Sure I would have liked the personal keepsakes we asked for but we cant get them now unless we go thru alot of trouble with court forms and its something that I just dont feel like going thru now even though it hurts and am trying to accept it , There are good days and bad days, Some days feel like should go to court and make brother document where all the assets went and that the surviving children are suppose to be the first people who can ask for certain belongings before it goes to relatives, neighbors, friends, goodwill or whoever my brother chose to give it to. Its a sad situation, It has taught us a lesson for our own family and children that this wont happen with our children and has opened up discussions, We dont want them to experience this. If I were in that position I could never empty my Mothers apt and keep everything or give it out without asking my other two brothers what they would like and whats important for them to remember Mom and Dad, So its hard for me to understand how my brother can do this. So we learn to live with this hurt and hopefully in time the hurt will diminish. I know Our God is a just God and sees everything, I will leave it up to Him to bring about justice in this life or the next regarding what my Brother did with this, Like the article stated, Now I believe it had to maybe do with control in handling grief. I never thought of it that way but it makes for a good explanation of one of the reasons of why my brother acted the way He did, Reading these posts helps and makes you feel you are not alone, and this seems to be fairly common in familys, My poor Husband and what He went thru with his family is also wrongful. His Parents had a note book that He didnt even know about, and all of his siblings wrote in the book what personal items they wanted, so at time of his parents passing all his siblings came with their trailers and trucks to take away everything they asked for in the house, while my poor husband didnt even know about this book that it even existed and He didnt get any of it as everything had already been claimed by his siblings. , He went into the garage and took some of his Fathers tools no one wanted. How terribly sad and awful. I think people alive and reading any of these posts should do all they can to learn from these experiences and take care of their affairs so children especially are not left with this heavy hurt at their parents death adding more to the grief they have. , Thanks for having a website like this, at least to share your grief and story is theraputic in some way and other people out there going thru this can understand your pain. . Praying for all people suffering from grief and situations they find themselves in with family members that just add to their grief and also for the souls of any loved ones that passed on and may be still suffering and need our prayers. Our family is of the Catholic faith and we are taught how our deceased loved ones need our prayers, Masses, Love and Charity towards them, I try to concentrate on that aspect, And I rejoice in knowing our God is one filled with Mercy as well as justice. . I will leave the wrong done to us for God to take care of. ( but it still hurts what was done to us) Time heals I keep hearing so waiting for time to pass. There are good days and bad days, You can be angry about it and then next day find yourself being forgiving and feeling sorry for someone to do such a wrongful act.to you and then you learn from the experience and its always better to have peace in your heart than carry around all the baggage, and pain. I know I am not perfect and have messed up many times in life but It just amazes me in a situation such as this that I can not comprehend how this was done and My brother did this.to us. Wishing everyone peace in your heart today and as many days as you can muster it up. Blessings, AveMaria . , . . . , .

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    • Carolyn  September 27, 2016 at 4:33 am Reply

      Just wanted to say your post helped me in my situation. I wish you peace also.

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    • Anonymous  July 5, 2017 at 12:21 pm Reply

      Thank you for sharing your story. I went through a similar situation with my brother and father’s wife. I accepted my dad’s wife from day one. She never liked me or my family. She got my brother’s loyalty along with my father’s. I became the black sheep. I estranged myself from them and it brought me great peace. Unfortunately it severed any type of relationship I would ever have with my brother. Now that my dad is gone I thought my brother and I could work things out. My dad’s wife is still in the middle of it all. They split everything two ways except for an insurance policy that was in my name. My dad’s wife even had the nerve to call me and tell me what they split in half and my brother was getting everything left since she was executor of the will. The will was poorly written and my brother was written in to get all tangible items and personal property, pictures and jewelry. What was left for me was non tangible items which was stuff not traceable. She handed stuff out to my brother before I caught on what she was doing. I got a box of garage sale items. It wasn’t about the money. It was about the fall of the relationship with my brother. It was very painful that he behaved the way he did along with my dad’s wife. He had no loyalty to me and teamed up with my father’s wife. That’s why I walked away years ago. I wasn’t expecting anything surely never expected to be treated bad once again. I have given it up to God and I hope my dad has now found peace and is reunited with my mother now.

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  160. Keirsten Taylor  June 9, 2016 at 11:49 pm Reply

    Oh my word, wish I had read this a few months back! It might have spared me some of the countless restless hours reliving the shock and anger at my sister’s behavior when my Mom passed away suddenly. There were awful scenes that seemed straight out of a movie. My sister forged ahead with planning a funeral without asking me or my grandmother. She ignored my grandmother’s pleas to have a catholic funeral since that was the only religion Mom ever practiced and the man who was like a brother to her was a Catholic priest who had taken her to Rome and holy sites in the middle east. She facebooked my mom’s death, then called my grandmother to tell her she lost her only child a few hours before any other family could be with her, never once contacting family nearby to be with her. She refused to pay for my mother’s body to be embalmed for the wake so my grandmother wouldn’t have to view her week old corpse. My Mom also wanted to be cremated and she said it was an unneccesary expense, calling me the worst word you can call a woman and demanding that I pay the interest on the credit card she was using to foot the bill until life insurance came through. During the funeral she refused to sit with the family, instead prefering to sit across the isle with her best friend. The sad thing is these moments as well as really ugly scenes with my sister prior to my Mom’s death likely fueled by her processing grief around my father’s death 7 years earlier have left me with such awful memories and the feeling that I no longer have a sister. She has never apologized to my Mom or myself for her screaming, profanity-laced tirades and probably never will.

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  161. Eliza  May 6, 2016 at 12:12 am Reply

    My 17 year old niece was just killed by a drunk driver a few months ago and we are a very close family. It was my sisters daughter and my 16 year daughter were inseparable since birth. My sister has literally gone crazy…she is 37 and started hanging out with the 25 year old coach at our daughters school non stop and text around the clock. Nobody in my family can even talk to her anymore without her texting or talking about her new friend. Her remaining daughter and my sister fight over who gets to spend more time with the 25 year old and her husband seems fine with it. They have forgotten all of us and won’t even talk about their daughter who was killed only a few months ago!! I am furious with her bc she has completely emotionally shut down and reverted to being a teen! My heart is broken and my daughters can’t understand how their aunt and remaining cousin aren’t even grieving or talking about this huge loss.

    • Eleanor  May 6, 2016 at 9:43 am Reply

      Eliza,

      Gosh, I’m so sorry for your family’s loss and for the turmoil they are now going through. While it is certainly normal for people to act different or for their priorities to change after a death; you do describe a very unique situation. Unfortunately it is just impossible to know specifically what’s going on with your sister and whether her behavior is helpful, self-destructive, or neither of the above.

      I guess the question I would ask if I were you is, what need is this 25 year old filling for your sister? Does he somehow, either personally or through her relationship with him, help her feel closer to your niece? Does her involvement with him help her to escape or avoid reality?

      As frustrating as it is, if this relationship is a way to avoid grief (and it may not be) it makes sense that she would shut her family out. You want and expect her to grieve, so at this point being around you might threaten her as it would force her to face realities and emotions that she doesn’t want to face, or cause her to feel shame for avoiding her grief. On the other hand this 25 year old is maybe allowing her to be someone different entirely, allowing her to look at life differently, and maybe allowing her to feel closer to both her daughters. Have you had a candid conversation with your sister about what’s going on with her and about your own feelings? Is she receptive? Responsive? I’m sorry we can’t offer more. I hope you’re able to find a way to connect with your sister. Hang in there 🙂

      Eleanor

  162. Rachel  April 29, 2016 at 2:03 am Reply

    I had this problem with my husbands family he passed away July 13th 2015. They are the type of people that are always mad he had been in jail for 5 months prior they didn’t speak to me the whole time cause if something they were mad about, when he passed I told them I wasn’t going to make a final decision without them because I felt like it was the right thing as soon as we started the arrangements I make sure what I wanted was OK with them they were all in agreement with what I wanted but when it was all done and over with they had a problem with everything that I chose now it’s been almost a year and they want nothing to do with my children which is fine because it’s their loss these are my mother-in-law’s only grandkids of her sons they didn’t even hug them at the funeral my children did nothing wrong they lost their father and his entire family

  163. Steve  April 6, 2016 at 5:22 pm Reply

    Here’s my problems, my mother was seriously ill for some time. Back in December well new yrs eve to be excact, I stayed with my mom of 66′ knowing this is more than likely going to be her last new year. We spoke of death, she seemed to have come to terms with it. Any way during our conversation I said don’t worry mom were all on the same path, and me being a believer in the afterlife also gave a little comfort to us both.she told me what she wanted, I said I know you want to be cremated, she said, and also said she would like a whicker effect coffin. I said how about horses and carriage mom, she said you won’t be able to afford such things, I said watch me. My mom loved horses, we planned prior to this news years eve, to go to a farm and see some horses as shed never been so close to one., unfortunately mom got worse and passed away on Sunday 2nd April, yes 3 days ago, I’ve had a couple of days to think, yesterday I went to a well recommended funeral director, payed for the horses and carriage, and the coffin she wanted.this leaves an outstanding amount for all other arrangements, I’ve been writing a tribute since yesterday for the vicar to read, I asked my sister for some input, she said mention that mom liked to bet on the horses. By brother informs me that my sister doesn’t agree with the horse and carriage, she thinks it’s tacky, and doesn’t want mom on display. She’s getting at me with snidely remarks, hel!!. Can anyone see a problem here. Everyone I spoke to thinks I’ve done nothing wrong. It’s my moms final journey,

  164. Helen  April 5, 2016 at 7:32 am Reply

    It can be amazing the positive support you may feel and have when someone has just passed away but it’s months later when things calm down, when your mind isn’t as busy after sorting affairs out and other family members get on with their own lives and don’t keep that close contact. This is when you feel alone and lost the most.
    Communication is a two way thing and when that is broken and you are constantly keeping in touch with no thought from the other side to pass by on their own accord to say ‘How are you today?’ you feel isolated and forgotten.

    I would give this advise, it takes less than a minute out of your daily life to see how someone is when family has passed away. The effort needs to be equal from both parties and never assume. Step into the person, affected shoes and try and walk in them…. No one is never too busy that’s just an excuse.

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  165. Michelle  March 15, 2016 at 7:22 pm Reply

    Greedy , heartless aunts

    • Michelle  March 15, 2016 at 7:26 pm Reply

      I lost my dear aunt last summer. She was 74 and never had children. My greedy aunts took all her Rolex watches and her savings and went on vacations..I went to her gravesite yesterday and there is No headstone…only a small aluminum grave marker. Shame in them… They will rot in hell

  166. William  March 11, 2016 at 6:06 pm Reply

    I am horrified by the way some of the family members acted after my mother passed away. Thank God we have a Personal Representative! It was NEVER a close family, but I was particularly appalled at the reading of the will. Mom liked control over everything and everyone, and when that went away, the result was chaos, confusion, finger-pointing, bitterness and a lot of hurt feelings!

  167. Marie  February 7, 2016 at 10:12 pm Reply

    My family is doing this right now,and my aunt is still alive.The family members that are acting like vultures,did this when my grandmother passed away,they took everything from her home,when we were told to come up and take what we wanted,everything was gone,even personal items that were given to her, when asked where they were they did not no.My aunt now in the hospital, suffering from possible cancer was told by these family member that stuff is missing from her apt.,why even upset her when she is ill.I was told by her to take her items back to my home for safe keeping,as she knows what they did to my grandmothers belongings.Terrible thing to have to lose family members,becasue they want stuff from her place.shame on them.

  168. rachel  January 18, 2016 at 10:42 pm Reply

    I never knew what people could be like after a death of a family member. I am the common law wife of a beautiful man who died suddenly and much too young. The two brothers…one who hadn’t seen him in 30 years, except for a few times (the latest times at my urging him to re-connect with his brother- now I understand his resistance) had started planning to steal his woodworking tools and anything else he thought he wanted two days after he was found. I learned this when I offered to have my husbands cousin over to use the tools, since the guy doesn’t have much. My husbands mother said “— has voiced an interest in the woodworking tools..” when you’re ready”… Well, — called dibs on my husbands truck on the second day too…in the guise of giving it to his son .. (They all think I have no rights, apparently). My husbands other brother literally found out the beneficiary info on the FIRST day he was found, through an old friend of his who had access to the computers at my husbands place of work…not legal. They all know what I’m getting- but no one has told *me*. To boot, now I’m single with no income and rent to pay… and they expected me to offer up a % of the services- payment. (After they froze his bank account with two months rent in it. Gone! & Even though the two brothers live extremely well)… The ex who has always used his beloved son to manipulate my husband into getting everything *she* wanted… literally wanted me to give her his favorite clothes so that she can have her friend CUT THEM UP and make a quilt for her 17 year old son (who was given a 1,200 guitar and everything he wanted by me and who expressed NO interest in the quilt) .. ON THE SECOND or THIRD DAY my husband was found. The ex still pushed for another guitar too…again, his son had no interest.
    These people are truly sick in my opinion… and I have threatened them all with arrests if they come to my house. Good luck to anyone who’s going through this Bulls–t! You’d think losing the love of your life would be bad enough to deal with.

  169. Deb  December 27, 2015 at 5:41 am Reply

    My husband’s mother died unexpectedly in January 2015 after a short illness. We were traveling. The widow and his daughter (my husbands sister) tried to make the funeral arrangements (2 days) so quickly that we were not able to get home to attend. A phone call was made to the father and he said that is the way it is. The funeral home, however, was not able to make the arrangements that fast and we could attend the funeral.

    After that, the sister convinced the father to give her his house. She then mortgaged it to the hilt and took out large sums of money. The sister then gave away the mothers belongings without asking if the brother or his children would like anything.

    The father has given the sister free range over his life and decisions. Of course, that means he has only her influence. That is purely his choice.

    There have been told many lies and untruths told by the siblings to the father and all other relatives to blacken my husband, the brother. It appears to be to character assinate the brother and his family. Maybe even to assuage guilty consciences.

    In December 2015, My husband put a small decorated tree by his mother’s grave. He has decorated the graves at Christmas for many years. Other relatives decided to desicrate the decorated tree.

    Guess there is no choice but to cut them all out of our lives to avoid constant hurt. We just can’t, and chose, not to deal with the family’s chosen path of meanness. We will have nothing more to do with them. This may be the sisters plan, but the dad made it very clear that this is his choice.

  170. John  December 18, 2015 at 9:43 am Reply

    Our brother Patrick died suddenly of stomach cancer in June of 2014, after we lost our sister Mary in January of the same year, also of cancer. Perhaps is was the shock, but our older sister Donna, who had promised to help me and our remaining brother with the funereal expenses, has not contributed one cent as of December 2015. She is retired and on a fixed income, but so are my other siblings. Her adult children support her, so money is not the issue… To top it off, she is an extremely fervent catholic, and doesn’t hesitate for a second to criticize loudly any one who doesn’t follow the catholic doctrines. Her hypocrisy boggles the mind! You put a dollar sign in front of my sister, and those strong Catholic “values” go out the window..The part of the article “Generalizing the Negative” is true, but as I look back on our adult relationship( I am the youngest of 7 kids and my sister Donna is 19 years older than I), she has never reciprocated any act of sibling affection. We all have treated her to lunches, dinners, movies, even vacations, and barely a “Thank You” is offered. I know you don’t give in order to receive, but all I ever asked was to have a sibling relationship where you don’t go months without hearing from a person, or that your calls and e-mails are ignored.. As I write this , I have officially given up on her…I don’t reach out to her any longer, because the deafening silence is too hurtful.. I n 2014, I lost 3 of my adult siblings..2 of them, Mary and Patrick, from cancer, and my sister Donna from selfishness..

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  171. Jamie  December 12, 2015 at 3:15 pm Reply

    Im going to start off with a little bit of background to try and bring everyone up to date. My grandmother passed away less than a month ago. She was a strong amazing woman with a heart of gold and open arms. She left behind 5 living children all over the age of 50 along with over 20 grandchildren, over 30 great grandchildren and even a couple great great grand babies. My mom (the baby of the family according to grandma) has been a permanent fixture in my grandparents house as a caretaker, a companion and a best friend to her mom for the past 10 years. They did everything together and lived within their means while relying and leaning on eachother to make ends meet. They didnt have much, they shared a small trailer worth less than $5000 and everything they have in it thwy purchased together they were more than happy to have eachother and proud of what they have accomplished as a team. Now she has passed and my mom is all alone and to top it off her siblings are being very cruel. Grandma died suddenly and unexpectedly and did not leave a will. The only thing she left was words of her last wishes to my mom and i. We have been accused of stealing and hiding valuables that dont exsist and a living will that was never written. Mom is the only one of her siblings that has ever worked for her money (though it isnt much) and is also the only single sibling of the family. She drives to and from many clients homes on a daily basis in a car that barely runs and is now trying to make ends meet on her own small income. My aunts and uncles showed up a two weeks after her passing and tore through grandmas room like it was a rummage sale leaving nothing but a bed and night stand and now they are trying to take the trailer and car that has been signed over but never transferred to my mom so they can sell them for less than $6000 leaving my mom and the 2 dogs she inherited completely homeless and without a vehicle. As i said before they are all married with their own cars and houses. The funeral costs were taken care of with donations and there are no final bills. They just want the little bit of money. They have all had great relationships with eachother until the day she passed. I love my family and all that they are but im finding it hard to forgive their cruelty and selfishness. I cry for my moms heartache everyday and just keep thinking to myself grandma will be home soon to straighten all this out knowing its not true. I apologize if this is not the place to share this story but i feel as though it needs to be told and i appreciate the open ear.

  172. Amrita  November 19, 2015 at 2:13 pm Reply

    My grandma has died since September 2014 and my mum, dad and granddad has been fighting since and my grandma was the one who didn’t let them break apart!!!

  173. malaga6  October 12, 2015 at 5:58 pm Reply

    Thank you so much for writing this piece. I found it very helpful. I am the oldest of six siblings who lost both parents within six months of each other in 2014-15. All of us are on the same page regarding our parents’ trust estate except one brother, who is abrasive, insensitive and outspoken about what “he” thinks our parents’ trust and will says, and what it actually says. His comments started before our remaining parent (father who is was never close to) died earlier this year. As I am the successor trustee, he complains and criticizes what I do regarding the estate despite the fact that the estate lawyer told him I was doing everything in order, and in a timely manner. He wants me to sell and liquidate all of the estate’s assets and divide it six ways, but that would effectively make two of our siblings homeless. So anyway, reading your essay helped be make some sense of out his behavior. Thank again.

    • Eleanor  October 14, 2015 at 10:19 am Reply

      Ugh, I’m so sorry that this is your experience. I cannot tell you how often we hear stories like this. I hope your brother is able to find away to be a little more at peace with the decisions that were already made and which are being made. Good luck with everything.

  174. Ann  October 8, 2015 at 6:13 am Reply

    I recently lost my mother and went through what I believe to be the worst experience with disagreements and fighting. I was at a loss as to what caused the disagreements but after reading the article, realized it was about control. Though I felt there was communication among us and joint decisions made, accusations were thrown about me doing things “my way”. That for me was very hurtful as I consulted and communicated information each step of the way and got input before finalizing. I now realize that family members needed to try to regain that control that was taken from them through the death of my mother.

    • Kathi rodden  June 16, 2016 at 8:40 am Reply

      I am going through the same thing right now. My sister who I was closest with committed suicide. I have planned and paid for 99% of everything because none of my family can afford too. I want her to have a beautiful service. I have got hell from my mother and 2 of my sisters. I had her belongings sent here to my house and I have caught hell from my them all week. It has made this whole process twice as stressful. I’m appalled at my moms behavior. She is so afraid I will open the boxes and take something. She doesn’t even want me to to open it so I can take some of her things to the funeral home to lay out in her memory. It sickens me, the whole thing.

      • Litsa  June 17, 2016 at 9:33 am

        Oh my gosh, Kathi, I am so incredibly sorry for the death of your sister and what you are going through. Grief can bring out so many complicated emotions and behaviors for families and this can be even more complicated when a death is by suicide. We have a post on suicide loss which may also be helpful to you. Please take care and I hope you find our site to be of support.

  175. Denise  August 24, 2015 at 8:49 pm Reply

    I am going through the most right now, my grandmother is very sick and my uncle is made because me and my brother are beneficiaries right along with him and wants to know why his kids aren’t, my grandmother adopted me and my brother when my mother passed while we were kids. He’s thinks we’re keeping insurance papers from him. I have power of attorney and a joint account and have been helping her with everything. Now he’s trying to get her pension and make funeral arrangements already. Though he was go be my support but boy was I wrong, his mother isn’t even dead and he’s acting like this.

  176. Mel  July 14, 2015 at 6:51 pm Reply

    I just lost my 14 year old daughter a month ago. Her father and I are divorced. It was nice to see both sides get along until the “gift box”. All I have to say is this article hit me. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one going through this. I wish you could do more articles so I could understand the grandparents side and understand people. I’m sad and angry. Never thought this would happen in our family.

  177. PMD  July 13, 2015 at 6:36 pm Reply

    When you bring a stepmother and stepchildren into the mix it is even worse. My stepmother (actually I refer to her as my Dad’s wife…….she was never a stepmother to me.. She ordered the medication that killed my dad. When my brother was killed in a car/train accident the Dr. gave that medication to me dad to settle him…. This was the medication that was ordered for my dad. My sister is a nurse and she informed me of the records that are kept. I would never had guessed that things like that can happen. Because I was one of the executors (until I was removed) of my dad’s will I was able to get copies of dad’s medical records from the hospital. (This was shared to me by my sister. ) This is when we found out for certain (in black and white) that she had ordered the medication that killed our father. 15 years later we are still feeling angry that this could have been done. Please read all of your loved one’s records in the hospital. Do not assume!!!

    • SS  March 19, 2016 at 10:11 pm Reply

      PMD, I am so sorry for your losses! Your story touched me as I had a very very similar story happen with my Dad just two months ago. For me it’s not only the grief of losing my Dad and the ordered medication by a recent marriage, I also call her my Dads wife, but also the trauma of dealing with her greed and theft in his estate. This is truly a heartbreaking nightmare!

    • elka  May 12, 2016 at 12:39 am Reply

      You sound like the crazy adult step daughter I’m saddled with. She made her fathers life a living hell, unable to accept her father was happy in remarrying me. The scheming little psycho wrote letters accusing me of trying to kill her Dad(because she’s insane).Then, she disowned her father while he was receiving radiation/chemo. She’d only welcome him back if he divorced me. Her insane obsession with me continues to this day, after his death. I have a restraining order in place against her. She also broke into our home while he was in hospice, helping herself to items she felt she `deserved.’ While he was in hospice dying she pestered me about the will. You sound just like her. I doubt your step mother killed your Dad. I think you’re mad because you wanted everything left to you

      • Eleanor  May 12, 2016 at 6:30 pm

        Elka,

        I’m sorry for your husband’s illness and death and for the turmoil you’ve experienced with your step-daugther. I don’t doubt this has been traumatic, but I don’t think it’s fair to assign your step-daughter’s characteristics and motives to the above commenter. Although the situation you described can and does happen, so does the situation she described. Though a grief website like this lends itself to support and advice of one another, it’s also limiting in we truly have no way of knowing what anyone else has experienced or been through.

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      • Anna  July 19, 2016 at 1:53 am

        Absolutely!!! My step-mother died before my dad, but from what I read, she doesn’t seem like a very loving person. I wonder………who really was the greedy one?

      • Anna  July 19, 2016 at 1:48 am

        Elka,

        I read her statement, and then read yours. Actually you sound much more vindictive and greedy that your late husband’s daughter. Maybe you should read what you wrote again. WOW!

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    • elka  May 12, 2016 at 12:55 am Reply

      As to your search to prove your step-mother killed your Dad via medications. I can assure you even if you get the list the nurses will be rolling their eyes in disgust. I learned from hospice nurses it’s not uncommon for adult children who hate their step-mothers to pull this stunt. It’s that cliché. My awful adult step daughter also blamed my 86 year old father for `plotting’ with me to ‘turn my father against me.’ I loved my husband more than I’ve ever loved anyone and I cannot imagine ever feeling that way again about anyone.BTW, over the two year course of his illness , I was with him every day. I never stopped viewing him as handsome. Or the most perfect person in the world for me. She called him ugly. She chose hating me over loving herfather and as a result she robbed herself of spending time with him. Her obsessioj with `getting to me’ was and is so all-consuming it’s also robbed her of living her life. What a tragedy. To have hurt her fathrer by hating me and by continuing to hate me she has no time for anything else. What a terrible self-imposed emotional prison she created for herself.

  178. MSparks  July 13, 2015 at 1:07 pm Reply

    I am dealing with “rogue” family members now. My mother is ill, there are end-of-life issues. It is just a matter of time before she is put on hospice care. In the beginning (she broke her hip and was also just recently diagnosed with cancer for which she would not tolerate aggressive treatment) we were sharing some responsibilities, but they all slowly stopped returning mine or her calls, don’t come to see her. I work full time and 3 of the others don’t work at all and even live closest to her. The other 2 are in complete self-centered denial. It is the purposeful non-communication that really has me at a loss. My resentment is becoming so severe that when she passes, I don’t care if I ever speak to or see any of them ever again. When it come to money — there is none — but if I am even approached in regards to any, some big beads are going to be read before I exit the family altogether.

  179. Elaine  July 7, 2015 at 4:25 pm Reply

    Wow, this article is true. I am beneficiary on a good friend’s insurance policies. Although I was surprised by this fact, I took on the role of handling her final affairs since her family (from whom she was estranged) didn’t. At the viewing before the service, the family members started trying to find out how much money was spent on the funeral. At the repast (reception) after the service, they tried again. one of them approached me and demanded a meeting with me to discuss what I had, what I had spent and what I knew about her finances and belongings. No mind you, these individuals were not involved in her life. Her friends, me included, have known her for 30-40 years and never heard of these people — all of which are cousins because she doesn’t have any immediate family like parents, spouse, siblings, children or aunts and uncles. Now the real crazy part… They are after her house which is valued about about 500K. I’ve never seen anything like this. They didn’t speak at the funeral. They didn’t ask me if I needed any assistance. The didn’t offer to help write the program. They didn’t even write the acknowledgements…I did. And now they want to meet with me? For what? Is that grief or is that greed. I’m trying to be understanding, but my friend was ill and hospitalized for a long time and they never showed up even though I called a couple of them. People can be really interesting.

    • Grieving daughter  October 19, 2016 at 10:01 am Reply

      Just lost my mom & my cousin & sister have excluded me in particpating in any plans in which i wonder “where were you while she was living” Not there!!

      • Litsa  October 31, 2016 at 10:44 pm

        Ah, I am so sorry Grieving Daughter . . . I hope you find your own ways to memorialize and honor your mom if your family aren’t working together in the way you would hope. Take care and I hope you find some support on our site!

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      • Kristin  November 15, 2016 at 8:50 am

        My mum passed the end of april, and the uncle none of us had seen in four years actually criticized me when I got emotional in her hospital room.Dont you just love it when people think they have some god given right to do/say everything just because they are “family”?

  180. Nancy  December 7, 2014 at 6:41 pm Reply

    The article helped a little but after 9 yrs our family is still torn. While Mom was trying to deal with her cancer my Dad was falling apart and in his grief making absurd accusations about my sister and especially about me. He passed these lies onto my brother and his wife, who continued the negativity to my other brother. These were then passed to my mom who had to suffer enough with cancer and now had to realize the poison going on in her family. Luckily she called me and we talked and cried for hours finally getting the truth exposed. Sadly, that wasn’t the end of it. I am closer to my sister which made my Mom laugh because we were never really close before. Today my brothers and their families are not in my circle. Dad is “gone” with Alzheimers. When there is a problem with our father I eventually am contacted by my brother. For years I felt guilty but after seeing a psychic was told I could let it all go; it was meant to be. To my Mom, her family was everything and to see it split apart continues to be sad. To lose my Mom and my family at the same time was so confusing. The lies told about me were so confusing because all I wanted was to help my Mom through this last phase of her life. I worked with hospice and helped my Dad with her medicines. He seemed to appreciate my help to my face, then trashed me behind his back. Anyway….that was 9 yrs ago and long past time to get on with my life. Still, thanks for the article. It’s nice to know torn families exist. As Mom would say, that’s life!!!

  181. tracy stone  October 4, 2014 at 8:09 am Reply

    This helped some, but this isnt what made us fall apart, ours was not respecting each others different grief. A sort of in their eyes, trying to prove who loved him the most. I sat and cryed trying to figure out why and I think I found the real answer, we all loved this little boy deep, I think for me, I am grieving more, not because I loved him more, but because I had more time and memories with him. Enough to fill my heart so that the pain is crazy. They think I should grieve just like them and I cant, therefore,,,, a torn family. I struggle with not there sympathy, but the lack of their understanding and compassion of what my grandson was to me.

  182. griever  May 14, 2014 at 4:43 pm Reply

    P.S. The will! Don’t forget the will. And update it yearly or if there is any change of status in beneficiaries. A 45-year-old will does not address current situations.

    Even a handwritten document can be valid. Some need a notary to validate it. It’s very easy but please check what is acceptable in your state.

    Bless you all.

    • Debby Pounds  October 2, 2016 at 10:49 pm Reply

      My brother passed away appro: two weeks ago and has still not been played to rest. I’m being told his body is still on ice. The coroner took it on himself to take care of all arrangements before I was contacted, im assuming he thought I am to poor or to ignorant to do so, no I don’t have money but I believe I can do better than him and now everyone is just taking all my brothers things. It’s only me and my mom left and my mom in nursing home with Alzheimer’s. I’m pleading for help, I need an attorney bad but can’t afford one. The coroner was so rude to me I don’t want to show my face. I want my brother laid to rest and I don’t have any say so please can someone guide me in the right direction

      • Litsa  October 2, 2016 at 11:02 pm

        Debby, I am so sorry for the loss of your brother and the difficulties with the coroner. In most states you have a certain period of time to contact the coroner’s office (here in Maryland 72 hours). If they have not heard from someone within that time, they are then tasked with determining next steps. I do not know the details in every state, but if you are seeking free legal representation you may want to contact Legal Aid in your stated to ask for assistance. Also, you may want to contact a funeral home to discuss the situation with them. They likely are familiar with the process and legal information in your state.

  183. griever  May 14, 2014 at 8:16 am Reply

    Aagghh! So true! The vultures circled and swooped in, cackling as they picked through the spoils of his (and to a lesser extent, my) belongings in our home. See my comments in the National Widows Day post.

    As a preventive measure to alleviate some of the confusion before illness or death occurs, please do some legal paperwork immediately. This includes powers of attorney (can be general to cover everything or specific to one category such as vehicle or finance), medical power of attorney, HIPPA privacy restrictions, directive to physicians, out-of-hospital do not resuscitate. Had my sweetie done his homework, he (and we) would not have suffered as much trying to make serious decisions when he was delirious from IV drugs and almost gone. T

    Each state has different requirements. Some hospitals or clinics provide forms for free, as part of the admission process. But if you don’t do anything at all, you are at the mercy of the government, the law or the insurance company. And discussions of treatment among family members will not be fun.

    I thank God for the doctors we had who truly put his needs first in the most compassionate way possible.

    • shirley  February 2, 2017 at 11:30 pm Reply

      My younger sister had cancer for a few years and we talked on phone for over a year every day. We were believing for her to have a miracle, so when she died, my other sister called and told me. I was shocked and amazed that my niece or nephews didn’t call me, but had my sister do it. I told my sister still living that if they were coming my way, I’d like to go with them. I never heard from her about a day or so, and when I did she said they were flying down (with no thought of how or if I could go) I thought it was cruel…this was before my sister passed. Due to these facts and due to a terrible pain in my arm I was unable to drive to meet my sister in law to ride with her..she was kind and welcoming but I was in too much pain to go. Since my niece or nephews never even called me and all info I was receiving second hand, I don’t feel like sending them a card since I am grieving not only for my sister but also the way I was ignored by them. They all have jobs and I am a widow over 70. I felt like they should have had some consideration for me. What do you think..I would feel terrible just sending each a card after their total lack of respect for me, plus putting a few bucks in would make me look cheap and they would just talk about it.

      • Jody L. Both  April 26, 2019 at 6:17 pm

        Hi Shirley,
        I just read your post, I don’t know what you decided to do. Money shouldn’t be how you express how you feel and the sadness of a person who you considered worth going to let the family know that you are sorry for the loss of someone who meant something special to you as well. If you did or did not send that card to the family, and you find yourself on the fence for a slight by the family of someone you knew, and money isn’t something you can afford to part with, try looking up a song, poem or if you have the talent to write something that expresses how this person touched you in life, that is far more impressive and worth more than sticking some money in a card, which will only go towards food, or clothes, whatever… Why do you have to feed or clothe the living members of the person who can not spend money in heaven? If you have a coin that is old, not the cheap new ones that dissolve if water gets on them. Wrap it in saran wrap and put it in the card, In a note you can explain that you are unable to attend due to poor health, however you wanted to share a Greek custom. The coin you sent is called an Obol, which is a custom of placing the coin in the mouth of the deceased, thus in case there is a ferryman who conveys souls across the river that divides the living world from the dead world, you have made sure that the deceased is covered. After all, no living person really knows what journey lies ahead when we pass from life to death. Maybe a light beams you up to heaven, or maybe just as in life, we have to pay or bribe someone to take us there? If nothing else, no one will comment on the amount of money you sent, and you just imparted a little piece of Greek history to a family who may never have heard of this custom. FYI, a real Obol is probably hard to come by, and probably very expensive, but I’m sure the poor Greeks used whatever coin they could part with to send their loved ones to gain passage from the ferryman named Charon.

    • Caroline Eliott  February 7, 2017 at 5:05 am Reply

      My son died last week he hung himself his body wasn’t cold and daughter and son in law went round ransacking. I decided on what music daughter argued about that. My sister so caring took me to house son rented she ran about ransacking acting like mother Theresa!!! So called friends on face book nowhere to be seen when son needed help. He told me mum your all I have he cried when he heard what his sister called him on the phone. My gentle boy they pretend to care about ! I too grief stricken to even think about anything I tried to save him but failed.I will love him till I die.

      • Laura  February 13, 2017 at 2:26 am

        I am so sorry for your loss Caroline. My son died 1 1/2 years ago and also took his own life. My experience with my family was much like yours… I know how horrible it is to have to deal with people like that when you are already dealing with the worst thing that could ever happen to you…I am so sorry you have to go through this. A website that helped me is ” parents of children who commit suicide”. I was surprised at how many experienced the same kind of treatment that you and I have from their families. Remember what you meant to your son, what he meant to you..that’s all that matters. Sending you a big hug…

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