Is delayed grief a thing?

Long story short, lost my hero, my dad in 2024 and took it in my stride because i was prepared for it, he was in the advanced stages of dementia.
However, I've found myself thinking about him much more during the past three months and finding it harder to look at photos etc, visit places that we used to love, basically the sense of loss is greater now than it was 18 months ago.
Am I experiencing some sort of delayed reaction?

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Bleak · 36-40, F

What you’re describing is actually very common. When someone has a long illness like dementia, a lot of the grief happens before the loss, so at first you’re running on acceptance and strength. Later, when life slows down and the permanence really sinks in, the grief can resurface more deeply. It doesn’t mean you weren’t grieving before — it just means your heart is processing it in layers. There’s no timeline for this, and nothing is “wrong” with you. It’s love finding its way out.