Losing your mom in your 30s: 10 things a motherless daughter will learn

1. You are stronger and more amazingly resilient than you ever could have imagined. And no matter how crappy or wonderful of a mom you had, she helped make you that way. You are her incredible legacy. 

2. You can no longer tolerate watching movies in the drama genre (at least for a while). Someone is either dying or losing something vitally important. No matter what it is, it reminds you of losing your mom and you become seriously depressed for hours to days. 

3. Losing someone suddenly vs. to an illness or disease where you have a chance to say goodbye - neither is "better". Both are tortuous in their own terrible ways. 

4. Just when you move past any mother-daughter angst you've been holding onto or dealing with, your mom is gone. This is horrifying. 

5. Life is no damn fair. Just in case you hadn't learned that yet. 

6. Just as difficult as losing your own mom, is losing your kids' (or future kids') grammie. Every cute, fun, memorable, amazing thing your kids do makes your heart ache that your mom is missing it. 

7. The only woman who had known you your entire life, knew all your strengths and flaws, and ALWAYS championed you no matter what, is gone. 

8. You will sometimes feel a guilty sense of relief that your mom is no longer there to disapprove of certain choices you make. 

9. For a while, you feel unmoored, adrift, and so very alone since no one expects you to check in with them daily any longer. 

10. If it applies, you will be so grateful your mom was a wonderful Christian example for you and that she encouraged you to be faithful. Because you know this means you will be together again eventually and eternally (and sometimes this just doesn't feel like enough comfort).