August | 2014 | Island Beauty in the Sea

Haven’t posted in over a week, partly due to the craziness that was last week with my daughter’s first week of kindergarten (seriously, when did I become a mother of a 5-year old?!?!) and then the impending arrival of hurricane/tropical storm Iselle that caused the entire state to go stark raving mad over buying bottled water, batteries and non-perishable items. Thankfully the weather was nothing major for my neck of the woods and with me being off work that day and the kiddo being off school, she was treated to seeing the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

But in light of the sudden and tragic passing of the great Robin Williams yesterday at the hands of what is being deemed a suicide, I thought I’d say a few words on the event. Growing up, I loved watching Aladdin and still catch myself stopping to watch some of Mrs. Doubtfire whenever it’s shown on television. “Good Will Hunting” and his acting in it was a revelation. As a young teenager I thought the movie was so real and he was brilliant in that role. I just re-watched his Academy Award acceptance speech and teared up a bit. Such a brilliant and beautiful soul, yet how are we to know what demons or insecurities he struggled with on a day to day basis.

When I was in my last year of college, one of my cousin’s committed suicide. I can still clearly remember getting the phone call from my aunty telling me what happened and the pure shock that I felt in the moments afterwards. My cousin…he was such a happy and funny and caring guy. Always had a smile on his face and a wise crack coming out of his mouth. To know him, was to love him. But even he struggled with the cards that life would deal him at times. Despite having a loving family and friends and an endless amount of support…even he couldn’t take it. So he did the only thing he thought was left to do…take his own life. Even now, all these years later when we talk about my cousin it’s generally with a mixutre of love and fondness for the memories that we have for him and then anger in the fact that he’s not here anymore. His daughters are the spitting image of him and represent all that was good and true about him…my cousin…their father.

So with this passing of a person that was a husband, father, collegue, friend and inspiration to an entire world…all anyone can do at this time is remember Robin Williams for being just that. We will never know what brought him to that dark place, nor can you ever know for anyone who chooses to take that path. But you just have to remember all the good that he did, and just let all the rest fall to the waste side. So as we say in Hawaii: A hui hou (until we meet again) Genie; you are surely making them laugh up in that great kingdom in the sky…