The world, or at least the world as we know it, is reeling from the death of a beloved actor and comedian, one who managed, at one point or another, to touch a nerve in the souls of most everyone.  Robin Williams left behind a body of work that not only encapsulated life but often clarified it for those of us fortunate enough to witness his unique combination of madness and genius.

Unfortunately, he was like so many who suffer silently, putting on a face for the world while hiding the misery of a troubled mind.  Whether or not he succumbed to the depression that haunted him, whether or not he took his own life, does not diminish the affect he had upon those who felt they knew him through his work.  Sadly, he could not share in the joy with which he blessed so many of us.

His death has cast a glaring light on the depression that seems so prevalent in our society.  The topic dominates every news anchor’s commentary, it’s plastered across the web, it’s a part of every conversation, if not in word then in thought.  The “professionals” want to tell us how to recognize it, how to deal with it, what to do if it afflicts someone we love, but the sad truth is the severity of depression often goes unrecognized until it is too late and a life is lost.  Even if that life does not physically end, there is no quality to it, no joy in the living.  And in a matter of days, when everyone has adjusted to the shocking news and something else has moved it from the headlines, we will forget.

Everyone is different and there is no definitive answer for what will trigger depression or how it should be treated.  We must be aware.  We must listen to the people we love, to the people we come in contact with on a daily basis, our friends, our co-workers.  We cannot hear if we do not listen; we cannot see if we do not look.  And when we believe there is a problem, we must encourage and support, we must offer to help, understanding that we open ourselves up to the darkness of someone else’s life when we do so.  But we must also understand that we cannot “fix” anyone.  We cannot make them seek help or lean on us when the darkness becomes too great to sustain life.  Those who are suffering must want that suffering to end and sometimes they mistakenly believe that death is the only possible solution.

In the movie “Hook”, as Peter faces Captain Hook, preparing for battle, Hook exclaims, “Prepare to die, Peter Pan!”  And Peter’s reply?  “To die would be a grand adventure!”  However, in the last scene, Robin Williams as the now grown-up Peter Pan, stands before Maggie Smith, the aged and grandmotherly Wendy.  His children have been rescued from the clutches of Captain Hook, as has he from the clutches of the world, and Wendy observes, “So, your adventures are over,” to which Peter replies, “Oh, no.  To live, to live would be an awfully big adventure.”  Perhaps both life and death are grand adventures, each to be experienced in their own time, in their own way.  But to hasten the end of one to bring about the beginning of the other only leaves grief and guilt for those who remain.

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