[Question]: I'm 13 and my dad died 4 months ago. My sisters are struggling with accepting my mom dating again because they think its to soon. My dad had cancer for 4 years and my mom wants to move on and so do I but my 2 sisters are making us feel bad about it. So what do I do to make everyone happy?
[Answer]: I'm sorry about the loss of your father and the long struggle your family had. Your mother's desire to move on comes from how she is and has experienced the grief. It sounds as if she over the years developed anticipatory grief, which has helped her cope with his death. Wanting to move on does not mean she did not love him or has forgotten him.
It may be that your sisters want to keep things the same, which is how they are mourning. We all mourn and experience grief differently.
Perhaps if your family could have an open conversation about how each of you are coping and why you feel the way you do, it would help. This is a hard thing to do. Making everyone happy is not something you should feel at this time is your responsibility. Understanding and respecting each others way of mourning is important.
