"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." --Robin Williams
Dear Mr. Williams,
I grew up learning to quote you at a young age. I dearly love to laugh. It's one of my great joys in life, and you made sure I laughed both loudly and often. For this, I have three things I would like to say to you. Thank you, I’m sorry, and goodbye.
Thank you. Thank you for being there for me. No, I know I didn’t know you personally, but you touched lives. You brought light and laughter on the bad days and in the hard moments. When I was a child, you were the Genie. You made dreams come true, and you did it in a hilarious manner. You were Mrs. Doubtfire, and proved that family meant more than anything. As Professor Keating, you taught me to speak my mind and say beautiful things. You were Dr. Sean McGuire, and were deep and thoughtful. Every role you played proved that you weren’t just a comedian. You were a gifted actor who spoke some of the most beautiful lines known to film. You taught me so much, and you gave me great joy. Thank you.
I’m sorry. I am so sorry that the world was too much, or that the situation was too much. I wish you could know the depression and darkness did not define you, that it was only your situation. I wish you knew that you were loved. I wish you knew what would happen to your family. You had a wife. You were a father. You were someone’s dad. They miss you. Your grandchildren are going to grow up knowing of a grandfather who was a beautiful soul, but never truly knowing him. I know you loved your family. You spoke of your struggles as we watched your boldness in attempt to stop substance abuse for the well-being of your family. You were open about your struggle with depression, and unfortunately it won. I hope that others will see this and know there is a better answer, this pain is temporary. Truly, I wish you knew how loved you were, and I am so sorry.
Goodbye. Goodbyes are hard and inevitable. I prefer to say ‘see you later’. I hope that I will. I don’t know what you believed in or who you truly were at heart, but you brought this world a great amount of joy. Please know that there are millions of lives you touched, hearts you changed and voices you gave to those who did not know how to speak. For now, I say goodbye in hopes that you will know of the love many had for you and the impact your life had.
So Mr. Williams, thank you for your life. I’m sorry that it was too much. Goodbye.
