There are quotes that say time heals all wounds, but the reality is that time only teaches and allows us "time" to learn to deal, cope, and hide the impact of our feelings. Time doesn't heal death wounds or loss wounds, but instead lets us figure out ways to "healthfully" sort through it. Healthful may full and well include two years of unending tears and weird eating patterns. We all cope differently.
My death & loss professor told us that he tries to use the rule of 5-10-5 for death when doing client evaluations. These are not my personal beliefs but he said that if it is a person losing a parent or spouse, 5 years should be enough for them to regain reality. If it's a person losing an older child, he says he tries to give it 10 years, and he says for all other losses he usually gives about 5 years of grief before deciding there may be worry. Now, I dunno about all of that but it was just his reasoning and he meant that in that people were often sent to him for evaluation of not coping effectively. Some people think you should be healed up in 12 months after losing your 60 year spouse
He felt that people were normal in any means they grieved for about 5 years. Take all that with a grain of salt or sand-- we all grieve differently. My mother still grieves her twins passing of 16 years ago, and sometimes the grief and coping mechanisms is troublesome to me
If your heart is too broken, which often happens in elderly couples or elderly who lose a child/loved one, perhaps you pass on too