robin williams died today.
here is a list of things that robin williams was:
thatâs important, the âand sad,â because sometimes sadness can feel like the only thing we are. it can feel all-encompassing. it can feel like the only thing anyone could possibly see, when they look at you: sad. that person is so, so, sad.
but there is always an âand.â we are never just sad. we are never only. we are always and.
we have all known people who were sad, who are sad; some of us are ourselves sad. being sad does not remove the other parts of us, though it can make them harder for us to see. when you are sad, you donât necessarily feel like you are also funny, and sharp, and clever, and kind.
but you still are. you donât have to feel like something to be it.
those things are written on your bones, they are woven into the fabric of your skin. sadness can feel so big, so big and overwhelming and complete, even when it is not a directed sadness. maybe especially when it is not a directed sadness, when itâs a depression that has no direct cause and nothing we can name.
sometimes the sadness is too big. people try to cut it out, or starve it out, or drink it down, or drug it silent. if this is you: iâm sorry. if this is you: you are not alone. if this is you: remember that the solution is never to give up, because you do not live in a vacuum. there are people waiting for you. there are films and songs and books and not-sadness waiting for you. i know that you donât feel like waiting, but wait anyway.
if you need help, ask for it. hereâs a link to crisis centers across the globe. if you live in the U.S., this is the national suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-273-8255.
robin williams died today, but the genie didnât, and mrs. doubtfire didnât, and peter pan didnât. sean maquire didnât, and professor philip brainard didnât, and alan parrish didnât. batty koda didnât. john keating didnât. you didnât.Â
