It's becoming sadly unsurprising (and even worse to say, cliche) that a celebrity dies of an overdose. People write RIP in their Facebook newsfeed and then by Thursday they are back on track with their normal life. I'm not saying life should come to a stop but for me, with the death of Robin Williams, it has a little. I'm not exactly sure why it has impacted me so much but I am going to try to put it into words.
First, I recommend watching these tributes. The first is by David Letterman and the second is by Billy Crystal.
http://youtu.be/4bVgilYncao
So while people wrote RIP Robin Williams in their twitter feeds and then moved on to their #icebucketchallenges, my life has stopped and I have been reflecting deeply on Robin and those around me that are stuck in a state of the blues or real depression.
I feel moved to push this forward, to not let depression just linger as an issue like poverty that I would rather close my curtain to so that I don't have to see it. I want to see it and I want to be present for people as a place of comfort or togetherness. I can't make the negative feelings go away but as a therapist and a friend I long to sit with all of my family and friends in their lives, the real ones.
Prior to his death and not because of it, Robin Williams has always been a phenomenal actor and one of my favorites. He embodies and portrays humanness and depth to a degree that most cannot.
Hearing people speak of him personally and professionally it seems as though he was a great man who truly touched people. I have found that I have been touched even more so than I had insight to prior to his death. It creates deep sadness in me that anyone, but clearly this man in particular, felt so much pain that he ended his own life.
Perhaps I feel so touched by his death because he reminds me of people I know that suffer greatly with sadness and loneliness, that live lives without much joy. It's one thing to laugh, it's another to be joyful. There is one person in particular that I have been thinking of lately. That person is one of my best friends and brings so much to my life (laughter, meaningful conversation, genuine love) and when I think about that person not feeling like they are much of anything or they are being beaten up by life, I feel so sad.
In the tribute by David Letterman you see a man in great despair with moments of pure and deep laughter. It's simultaneously joyous and devastating to watch.
Hearing people speak of him personally and professionally it seems as though he was a great man who truly touched people. I have found that I have been touched even more so than I had insight to prior to his death. It creates deep sadness in me that anyone, but clearly this man in particular, felt so much pain that he ended his own life.
Perhaps I feel so touched by his death because he reminds me of people I know that suffer greatly with sadness and loneliness, that live lives without much joy. It's one thing to laugh, it's another to be joyful. There is one person in particular that I have been thinking of lately. That person is one of my best friends and brings so much to my life (laughter, meaningful conversation, genuine love) and when I think about that person not feeling like they are much of anything or they are being beaten up by life, I feel so sad.
In the tribute by David Letterman you see a man in great despair with moments of pure and deep laughter. It's simultaneously joyous and devastating to watch.
So while people wrote RIP Robin Williams in their twitter feeds and then moved on to their #icebucketchallenges, my life has stopped and I have been reflecting deeply on Robin and those around me that are stuck in a state of the blues or real depression.
I feel moved to push this forward, to not let depression just linger as an issue like poverty that I would rather close my curtain to so that I don't have to see it. I want to see it and I want to be present for people as a place of comfort or togetherness. I can't make the negative feelings go away but as a therapist and a friend I long to sit with all of my family and friends in their lives, the real ones.
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