Howie,
I am so sorry to hear about your mom. I lost my mom 5 years ago and I think about her every day. Also my mind is fresh about what you're going through so I wanted to give you my little bit of advice of how to cope with these terrible times.
After my mom died, every time that I thought of her, that achy, burning feeling just above my heart would start and I would feel so sad. It went on for over a year. Think of her, and that sadness would overtake me.
Then one day, I thought of her and I smiled. I thought about all of the good times we had from the days that I was a child, to more recent things that we shared. (This is when I knew that my mourning phase was coming to an end.) Yep, now when I think of her I smile. Oh yeah, I still miss her, but the good memories outweigh the sadness.
May your "smile" come soon.....
BUFFY