A classmate committed suicide this weekend. Such a sad story. It is always sad to hear of the death of a friend but our sorrow for this loss is ten fold because he took his own life. Chris was one of the many shining stars of the class of '69. Tall, dark and handsome. Half of the female class had serious crushes on him. Most importantly, he was so much more than good looking. Chris was a talented musician, a gifted businessman and loved by all.
How did we fail him? What demons did he face alone? I too have faced the monster called depression. Fortunately I was able to reach out for help. We all face our fears daily. What are we afraid of? Funny thing about our fears, we have made them up ourselves. We ourselves have allowed the stories in our heads to become the monsters. What are the fears we face - death, aloneness, failure, wounds inflicted upon us by someone we love?
Online there is a challenge called Trust30 for writers or want-ta-be writers. (Trust30? I have no idea what that means but that is what it is called.) A few months ago the challenge was to write about how you would live if you knew you had only one week to live. In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? What does your To Do List look like? After the announcement of Chris' death I have come to realize that all my goals for change are a waste of precious time. As Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, "Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live." I resolve to only do what makes me come alive. How about you?
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