Gabyunbound, my deepest condolences to you and your family, and your mother's friends. Like others wrote, it is a relief that you have a great number of supportive people to help during this difficult time. Losing a parent is one of most peoples' hardest times in life. It was one of mine. The grieving process is important for many reasons. And though loss does often sting a little less over time, it never fully disappears, and that, too, is normal.

I certainly do hope and imagine that if there is a Heaven for afterlife that your mother surely will be there. Either way, know that she always lives on in your memories. She can remain alive in so many forms. I see my mother in myself, now and then, and in my siblings. My mother's effects will never disappear from us.