A Conversation for Robin

When I came across a post from NBC News announcing Robin William’s death, I gasped. “No!” I said, and immediately went to check to see if it was a hoax. I found similar articles from the LA Times, CNN, New York Times. It wasn’t. Robin Williams was gone, and had apparently taken his own life. Facebook and Twitter lit up with posts expressing shock, sadness, and sympathy for his family. I knew it was only a matter of time though and braced myself for the inevitable-and wasn’t disappointed.

this guy was a drug addict and now his pain is over but now his friends and family have 2 deal with the pain, he made a very selfish choice 2 take his own life, nice role model!

I’m not here to judge a man that I only met a few x in San Francisco; however, using suicide as the last arrogant and self-centered act is profoundly SELFISH! He had ZERO regard for his children, family, friends, and the ‘so-call’ charities he professed to love; clearly he didn’t love anyone; not even himself! COWARDICE in the extreme.

And on it went…whenever news of a suicide breaks, the scorn, the judgment, the hate starts flying.  It’s the recipe for STIGMA, especially the incredibly destructive stigma surrounding mental illness.

Robin Williams struggled with deep depression for years. Why you might ask. Why would a man who had gained acclaim, adoration and wealth have any reason to be depressed? There is no simple answer. Depression can be genetic. I know, I come from a family where there is both a history of depression and substance abuse. It can also be due to chemical imbalances in the brain. Depression is as much a disease as diabetes or asthma, and like those other diseases, sometimes they can be controlled with proper treatment-and sometimes not. For Robin Williams, the disease won. He was not selfish. He was not a coward. He was a man. A husband, a father, a flawed and simple human like the rest of us-and one in agonizing emotional pain.

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Think About Your HAVES Not Your HAVE-NOTs!

Life is not perfect, but if it was, how boring would that be? There would be no lessons learned and no need for blessings to be counted…what a loss that would be! This economy is hitting most of us hard and it’s difficult not to worry and be angry-my husband and I are good, hard working people. We pay our bills on time and live within our means. Yet like many, we sometimes struggle to make ends meet. However I’ve found a sliver of a silver lining. It makes you appreciate the HAVES in your life a whole lot more. Here are mine:

I have a wonderful husband who loves me and a strong and happy marriage.
I have a group of friends who are just the most terrific and extraordinary people I’ve ever met.
I have a clean, warm apartment and a kitchen full of food.
I have a cat who gives me joy and unconditional love.
I have the luck and good fortune to be making a living doing something I absolutely love.
I have good health.
I have a clear conscience and an open mind.

What are your haves?

I leave you with this:

“I complained I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”

Count your blessings, look for that silver lining and give thanks for your HAVES! 🙂

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