It seems that everyone was greatly shocked at the suicide death of beloved comedian Robin Williams. I was no exception. Stunned. Devastated. Someone wrote that “Robin Williams was the one comedian everyone could agree on.” He was loved pretty much by all, from every walk of life, age, gender, sexual preference, political party, or religious affiliation. The question is: how could this have happened? How could such a bright talented life have ended in such deep tragedy and sorrow?

I guess what stunned us all was that his struggles with depression were pretty much kept private. We heard about his struggle with drugs and alcohol – that’s no surprise among the fast-living and hyper-real lives of celebrities, though no less unfortunate. Yet we couldn’t imagine the man who was SO brilliant, so ever-ready with the wittiest and most insightful quip beyond what you could ever imagine, the outer persona that seemed so funny and brought us all so much joy – could on the personal realm be struggling to maintain mental and physical chemical balance.

And then this week his wife announced that he had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. More questions. Did he decide it was time to go because he didn’t want to be a burden to his family? Or because he himself couldn’t face living with the eventual symptoms of such a debilitating disease? Or maybe he couldn’t keep up the mask of the Funny Man if he would be visibly shaking and depressed?

Robin Williams lived the true Archetype of the Clown. The persona he showed the public was the bright, witty, quick on his feet, Funny Man-Child. He was truly ageless, as his Inner Child was outrageously playful – the gift he gave to us. At what cost? As Smoky Robinson said, “There are some sad things known to man, but there ain’t too much sadder than the tears of a clown when no one’s around.”

We are grateful for your gift, Robin, and wish your body could have been as strong as your Spirit, so you could still be giving your gift for decades to come. Perhaps you could have found a way that would have kept your private struggles a bit more in balance with your public persona. Perhaps it all could have been brought out more into the open. Perhaps then they may not have been such a strain. Perhaps then the Shadow may not have won out over the Light, and the Shadow could have been healed. But you found your own way to peace now, so we must accept and live with your decision. All we can do is remember you with the most heart-warming and fondest of memories and wish much Peace & Blessings to your soul!