Losing Your Mother in Midlife: Grief, Legacy, and the Love That Remains (A Piece I Wrote for KuelLife.com)

Losing your mother in midlife is a profound and disorienting experience—one that reshapes your daily life, your identity, and your sense of connection.

A Grandmother, A Star, A Force Of Joy:

My ebullient mother became a bit famous in recent years, as my social media influencer son featured her in his TikToks seen by millions. You can watch their antics @Chris on TikTok and @ChrisOlsen on Instagram. A few stars and many fans lamented her passing with online messages and comments.

Sometimes she was recognized in public as a TikTok star. She reveled in the attention. My son once brought her onstage at a large concert venue where he was opening for pop star Meghan Trainor. My mom toddled onto the stage and hammed it up for the crowd. She loved every minute. On her deathbed, she said she wanted to do it again and joked that her fans missed her.

She kept her sense of humor to the end, joking that she wanted a caramel frappuccino. She was, however, ready to go. She never wanted to burden us and was mostly paralyzed by the fall. I am fortunate that she was able to express her readiness while she was in the hospital. She had not left an advance health care directive or living will.

Read more:

https://kuellife.com/losing-your-mother-in-midlife/