I don’t mean being glad that a very sick loved one no longer had to suffer through their illness, or being glad that some serial killer or evil dictator was finally strung up by their neck. No. Have you ever been secretly (or openly!) glad to learn that someone you knew and interacted with (and were maybe even related to) had died? Why? Did you feel guilty about it at the time? Do you feel guilty now? Did you ever tell anyone?
Not sure how strongly I feel about a few.
But there are certainly a couple “mehs” and one possible “ya” that may happen before I shed these mortal coils.
Kind of. When I was running a shelter there was this crazy homeless activist that was always yelling and screaming and chaining herself to things at meetings over crazy demands that I couldn’t and the city council wouldn’t even consider. For a while there she created a spectacle at every public meeting that I had to go to. Everyone knew that she was nuts and was as annoyed as I was but it was still really embarrassing. Then out of nowhere she had a heart attack and died on her way to the hospital. It was the weirdest feeling because I couldn’t deny to myself that my first reaction was relief. I wasn’t glad that she was dead but I was that she was finally out of my face. I remember finding out with a bunch of people outside of a meeting and we were all so uncomfortable because we all knew that everyone else probably felt the same way. It was uncomfortable but I didn’t feel guilty and none of us ever discussed it beyond an awkward ‘that’s so sad’.
Not me, but a friend of mine. At her first real job after college she had this boss and his executive assistant who really made her life hell, they were petty and demeaning, etc. etc. My friend eventually got fired.
It turned out that the boss and assistant were having and affair and stealing from the company. When they got caught, one committed suicide and the other went to prison. My friend called me at work to tell me the news.
My mother finally died just about a year ago. She was a lousy mother, and had been an alcoholic for 40+ years. She had no emotional connection with her sons, was completely selfish, and could never ever believe she was wrong about anything so she never apologised or even acknowledged that she’s done a bad job as a parent. She held no jobs, joined no clubs, didn’t volunteer for anything. Basically a complete waste of space and it was a relief to me when she pegged out.
I had this teacher in 6th grade that really sucked. She was a total flake and classes were boring and silly. She had moved to the 6th grade from, I think, 2nd grade and a lot of my friends had had her as a teacher before and loved her. I think she was made even more disappointing because she in no way lived up to the hype.
Turns out she was so flaky and a crap teacher because she had an un-diagnosed brain tumor. Half way through the year she was diagnosed and died shortly thereafter.
Being that I was in 6th grade and at the age where one is completely selfish and often rotten, I was glad she died at the time.
It took me until 7th grade to realize what a horrible, evil little person I was 
That sounds exactly like my mom, to a T (except for the dead part, for some reason her liver hasn’t given out yet.) How scary.
Yep. A patient of mine. More than one, actually.
I did do my damnedest to keep them alive and comfortable.
I sort of can say that I’ll be glad when my mother passes. She’s not the same person she used to be. She’s undergoing kidney dialysis, has diabetes, has heart problems, and is severely depressed, constantly praying to her God, asking that he heal her, all to no avail. Yet, that does not shake her faith, which is the only thing that she’s got going for her at this point. Be it good or bad, I do not know.
She’s bitter, angry with all living beings, paranoid about everyone and everything, and she’s extremely jealous of all healthy people. She’s not doing well with the dialysis, needing new ports put in every couple of months, which require outpatient surgery.
I don’t think I’ll mourn her passing when it happens, because I am currently mourning the loss of my mother as she once was. She’s an entirely different being now.
Death for her would be a relief for everyone involved.
Yes. Not in the way that you’d think though.
About 10 years ago, my grandfather was suffering through terminal congestive heart failure, and was in a great deal of pain.
I knew he wasn’t going to get any better and that he was suffering terribly, and I saw the effect that it was having on my grandmother, mother and Aunt, not to mention the rest of the family.
When he finally did pass, I was definitely glad that he’d passed and wasn’t in pain any longer. It’s a sort of weird feeling- you miss them terribly, but in the back of your head, you realize that it was a better outcome for him than him living another day, month or year, even if it’s causing you some pain. When I realized that, it somehow made me feel a little better than I’d been feeling.
As for the type of glad that the OP is talking about… not exactly. I was an resident advisor in college, and there was this guy who was a total dick, and who went out of his way to challenge my authority in front of the younger residents, despite me not picking a fight with him. He also was abrasive, obnoxious and encouraged the other residents to disregard what I said, and he basically tried to make my life hell, just because I was doing my job.
I found out about a year ago that he’d suffered serious mental illness and had committed suicide. I wasn’t glad, but my response was “Huh.” Usually, I read something like that and think “How awful… especially for his family.” But in this guy’s case, I just didn’t care, because I firmly think the world is a better place without him in it.
I am eagerly awaiting the day when the woman who gave birth to my wife dies (she gave up any claim to the word “mother” a long time ago) and will go to the funeral to verify that she’s dead. No, I don’t feel guilty. No, I haven’t told anyone and probably will not. My wife has never given up hope that they can rebuild their relationship and it would kill her if she knew how I feel about that woman.
My 2nd grade teacher. This woman was a stereotypical spinster schoolmarm. She always wore a starched white blouse and a long, straight black skirt and very unsexy black shoes. Everything she wore was either black or white. No makeup or jewelry whatsoever. Her hair was little ringlets covered by a hair net. Wire-rim glasses. Nobody ever saw this woman smile or laugh. In fact she had no visible personality whatsoever, except meanness.
She was very much into punishment. There was an area in the back of the room where we hung our coats, and it had big heavy doors that had to be lifted, like garage doors. If anyone misbehaved they were locked in the “cloakroom.” If the kid had claustrophobia or was afraid of the dark, she just ignored the kid’s screaming and crying. She also wouldn’t let us eat lunch until we finished our morning work. Well, I was very slow and meticulous about everything, so most days I never ate lunch. And at a PTA meeting she told all the parents, “I hate kids, especially boys.” She was one of only two 2nd grade teachers, so half the people in town had suffered under this woman. When she finally died, there was a huge celebration.
In my profession quite a few frequent customers wind up dying suddenly. I can’t remember actually feeling glad but there has been relief at times because I don’t have to deal with them anymore. But I never have trouble finding new customers.
Heh…it’s funny, because that’s an awful story, and for 2nd graders it must have been horrific. But I have to admit that the way you told it had me laughing out loud. It sounded like something straight out of a Roald Dahl book, and I could picture it complete with Quentin Blake illustrations. 
Not yet.
What is your profession, Loach?
/curious
Police Officer.
I have a cousin who is a total fucking asshole, it embarrasses me to have to admit I’m related to this guy. I would never wish death on anyone - except him. My entire family feels the same way about him - even his sister.
When he dies, I will be glad, and there will be no guilt. The world will be a much better place. But unfortunately, he’s only in his 40’s, so he’s probably not going anywhere soon - unless he finally pisses someone off to the point they take him out. One can hope…
Yeah, my daughter’s mother had an off and on relationship with a guy who was diagnosed with 5 split personalities, was a drug addict, and tried to kill himself a few times. I have custody and the mother is a deadbeat who has barely seen our daughter in the past year. I figured she would start seeing her more someday and this guy would always be around, but he finally offed himself a couple of months ago.
I can’t say that I was glad this person died, but I was certainly relieved that he would no longer be part of my life. I think I’d have been fine if that could have been achieved without death, but it didn’t work out that way.