Watching the current Netflix documentary on the 9/11 terror attack aroused my teary memories: walking through Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal soon after with its posted photos of missing loved ones who were almost certainly dead, and at a later 9/11 memorial. This, though knowing none who died in the attack.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no normal way to grieve. Some initially cry, others cry years later, and some never do. Having dreams in which the deceased lives and speaks is common. The anniversary of a loved one's death can have a powerful impact with some tearfully describing it long after. A relative's death is occasionally even positive, liberating healthy autonomy strivings after an overpowering, destructively possessive relationship has ended.