AIW for ghosting my entire family after they "joked" about my dead dog?
I lost my dog Buster last month and it has been pretty rough. He was a senior lab and I had him for twelve years which is basically my entire adult life. He was with me through a bad breakup and three job changes so he was more of a companion than just a pet to me. My family knows how much he meant to me or at least I thought they did. They saw me spend thousands on his vet bills and specialized diet during his last year when his hips started giving out.
We had a family dinner last Sunday which was the first time I had seen everyone since the funeral. I was already feeling a bit off but I wanted to be social. About halfway through the meal my brother leaned over and asked how the house feels now that it is quiet. Before I could even answer he started laughing and said that at least now the place doesnt smell like a wet basement and old dog hair. I just sat there staring at my plate but then my parents joined in. My dad made some comment about how I can finally buy a nice rug without it getting ruined and my mom chuckled and said Buster was a "stinky old rug" anyway.
They were all laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world. I did not say a word I just stood up took my keys and walked out of the house. My brother shouted after me that I was being a "sensitive little girl" and that it was just a joke to lighten the mood. I drove home and blocked every single one of them on everything. I am just done with the lack of basic empathy. They are acting like I am mourning a broken toaster instead of a living being I cared for for over a decade.
My cousin messaged me on Facebook today saying that I am being way too dramatic and that I am "breaking the family apart" over a few comments. She says that they were just trying to help me move on and that ghosting them is a massive overreaction. Maybe I am being too harsh but I honestly do not want to talk to people who find my grief funny. It feels like they never respected me or my bond with Buster in the first place. I do not feel like I owe them an explanation if they are that tone deaf .