My mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was 6 years old and I became a caretaker for her. She died just after my 12th birthday. I outlived her several years ago and it wasn’t until I took the EAM class did I realize I had suffered emotional absence. Even though it wasn’t by her choice nor design, there was still emotional absence. Shortly after my mother passed, my father remarried and I found myself being mothered by someone who was very emotionally absent. Not only did I struggle adapting to a new mother figure in the home, I was struggling to grieve as a child
I’ve discovered that my mother loss has been unfolding for years. The grief comes in waves and when I feel as though I’ve finally conquered it, something new comes up. I’m continuously learning how to work through my unprocessed grief and emotional absence. As a woman in her early 50’s, even though the journey has been painful at times, through study and support, I have continued to grow and heal.