Never Had A Friend Like Me

Like many others, I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Robin Williams. Even hours after the news broke, it still doesn't seem real. There are certain deaths that hit people especially hard and this is one of them. A reason for that is because his career and many acting and voice roles spanned decades and across generations. I remember being briefly taken in by "Mork and Mindy" and watching it after school in my younger years. I remember my uncle taking us to see "Mrs. Doubtfire" in the theater. I remember taking my own nieces and nephews to see "Happy Feet". And Miss N's favorite movie is "Aladdin", her favorite character being Genie. My mom has always spoken of having seen him on one of his stand up tours way back when and how he was one of the most gifted comedians she had ever seen, how he switched from one character to another with such ease and nailed them all. But that's the blessing and the curse, I suppose. You can spend your days playing every role under the sun but at the end of it all, you're left with just being yourself. And not everyone, particularly the most gifted, can find a way to be comfortable with being themselves. Robin Williams battled demons and addition for most of his life, yet seemed as if he would be one of the success stories. I don't think any of us believed we'd ever have to read the kind of headline about him that we did today. And it is very upsetting when someone with so much to live for can't see the light  at the end of the tunnel and come out of their depression. If nothing else, I hope his death serves as another reminder of just what a real, and deadly, disease depression really is. When you are deep enough into it, you find yourself considering doing things you never thought you'd do, and they don't sound as outlandish as they do to everyone else who is not battling such demons. If you're lucky, you find a way to not paint yourself into a corner or do something you cannot take back. But not everyone gets that kind of luck when they need it. Suicide is a permanent solution to what is almost always a temporary problem. We all feel unloved, unhappy, alone and as if there is no way out sometimes. But most of us know that things get better eventually and we press on. I only wish he'd been able to see what he meant to others, what he contributed to the world and that he had so much more to give. And I wish all of that had been enough for him. R.I.P. Genie.