**UPDATE**
This article may be the most relevant, yet, to the way Robin Williams ended his life: autopsy_robin_williams_had_lewy_body_dementia/
Original Post:
I have known a marvelous woman, my second wife, who suffered similarly to Robin Williams from severe chemical depression. She also attempted suicide multiple times over the span of her life, finally succeeding. Personally and professionally she also went way beyond what we might think of as “the extra mile” to make others happy. Tonight, I am wondering if Williams was more or less Driven to make others happy, and so was “always on”. I think many of us know what it’s like to feel the need to please someone, if not to please everyone. I’ve been told that most of us know at least a kernel of the experience of feeling less than “enough”.
In compassion I just want to offer a notion: Those of us who have a history of feeling a need to meet unrealistic, or even insane, expectations deserve time and room to take care of ourselves as well as we try to take care of others. This is another opportunity to absorb the wisdom of letting that need go, if at all possible –more like a rough pebble in our shoe, instead of a cross we bear.
Wouldn’t that just go a LONG ways toward a happier, more sane, more playful, more connected world!?!
Thinking of those who were close with Robin Williams, I am reminded of a rendering by Daniel Ladinsky of a poem by Sufi poet, Hafiz:
That said, I wasn’t even remotely close to him, so I don’t know for sure if it’s fair or accurate to say that Williams was driven to please. Maybe it’s not that simple? Maybe we won’t reduce his life and contributions to “lesson”, and will just let him be what he was and is.. in many ways a mirror of our love of playing, of creating, of giving others pleasure, and above ALL, of living life to his fullest. He was irrepressible, if nothing else.
I thank Robin for the amazing awesome gift of himself. Period.