My grandmother died three days ago and my family expects me to wail and cry publicly at the funeral tomorrow but I feel numb and empty inside and I am terrified they will think I did not love her enough.
More people experience this than they realize.
She fears her internal emotional landscape doesn't match the communal expressions her culture requires, mistaking grief's many faces for inadequate love.
“Where Are You with African grief traditions — communal mourning?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.