Hi there,
Some forms of colorectal cancer runs in families, and since both your parents were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, perhaps you should consider getting regular colonscopies yourself. Indeed, this is a very treatable and highly beatable disease if caught in the early stages -- and the earlier the better. Maybe the reason you're more at peace this time round with your mother, is that you're not dealing with the unknown. It's not clear if your father is still alive -- or sadly has lost the battle. But what you can take away from this experience with your parents is that you can "get yourself checked."
Paula Jean