I didn’t want to blog about Robin’s death by apparent suicide until I could grieve some on my own. He was one of my favorite actors and comedians. So many could identify with or look up to him as he struggled to overcome his challenges, despite fame and fortune! And, many of them are left behind to question why.
So, Robin, it’s your personal decision to leave us, and it’s a loss. I, like many others, feel your decision personally and have taken it personally. I don’t just mean your loved ones left behind, but many others who have or suffer from depression, with or without the consideration of suicide. Your reach has been far and wide, Robin. I’ve had a few admitted to the hospital feeling so shaken. If you could, why couldn’t they… After all, you had a lot more to lose, given your successes. That is the sad state of mental illness in the world. We forget it’s an equal opportunity employer. Come one, come all. There are openings for novices and experienced people in sorrow and despair, careers in regrets, and progressive promotions to lost time, relationships and life itself.
We must remember that Robin was no different from any others who succumbed to this disease of depression, one of the leading causes of disability and lost productivity worldwide.
Then, there is the aftermath of suicide. It increases the risk for loved ones to follow the same path and often brings unbearable pain and loss to those left behind. Let us pray for them and not just seek refuge in the words of those who accuse him of being selfish for what he did. As they say, “it’s complicated.”
Each person does bear the responsibility to reach out for help when it’s starting to get dark, before one is so consumed he or she is no longer able to fight alone.
So, we go on with life after Robin. “Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living,” said Mother Mary Harris Jones.
