EDGEWATER -- I was stunned as the nation was Monay when it was announced that Robin Williams was dead of a suicide. Then they went on to say he killed himself by asphyxiation and I fell apart.
No, he was not a personal friend.
Williams has been a favorite entertainer of mine for many years with but what this news did to me was dredge up memories of such a loss in my own life and how one feels when a loved one chooses this end to their life. I immediately felt sad for his children. Living with someone’s suicide is not an easy thing to do.
You spend many hours wondering what you could have done to help if you had only known they contemplated such an act. But they don’t tell anyone they just do the deed and leave us with a million questions and a deep sadness and guilt of our own because we may have known the person was depressed, but had no clue how down they really were.
My heart goes out to his family. If I could tell them one thing I learned it is that they had no responsibility for his actions. They were his alone. The demons he fought were ones he probably never shared with anyone. He had that choice and had tried in the past reaching out in rehab and such but evidently had just had enough of trying and opted out. No one is at fault.
Robin Williams had a gift as an actor and comedian, from the early days with "Mork and Mindy, the ABC-spinoff show from "Happy Days" to his acting roles in movies like "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Dead Poet's Socirty" and his best supporting actor Oscar in "Good Will Hunting." He has had a difficult time with cocaine and alcohol and depression that he obviously could not overcome. At age 63, he had talents in a life ended prematurely.
I hope he left a note for his family so they won’t take on the guilt, but if not, I am praying for them to get through this loss. May he rest in peace, finally.