A Friend Like Him

A post like this is not what I envisioned for this blog, but I honestly don't know where else to put what I have to say today. I only know that I need to say it to start feeling a little better.

This morning, the day after I learned that Robin Williams had passed away, I was surprised to wake up with tears in my eyes and a hole in my heart.

 I can't say I've been moved by many celebrity deaths-- callous as that may be-- and so I didn't expect to feel this loss so strongly. I didn't expect to cry. But from what I have seen online and in the news, I’m not the only person who is struggling more than they thought they would today. We are missing a great man, and we are missing him together. 

I've been thinking about why we all seem to be taking this passing especially hard, and this is the only thing I can come up with:

We are so uniquely affected by this death, because we were so uniquely affected by what Robin Williams did with his life.

Countless tales of his kindness have been shared in the last 24 hours, many of them highlighting not just his gift of laughter, but his uncanny ability to know when people needed that gift the most. I guess it’s true what they say about comedy—it’s all in the timing. Robin Williams had that down to a science. 

From calling Steven Spielberg to lift his spirits during the filming of Schindler’s List, to surprising Christopher Reeve in the hospital, Robin Williams was there for people. The care that he had for others, and for his craft, was evident in everything he did.

 A lot of us feel like we have lost a family friend in Robin Williams, and I think it was because of that obvious caring spirit. No matter what role he played, the twinkle in his eye shone with passion and compassion in equal parts. It gave weight to the advice his works offered us. It brought us happy thoughts to fly away from our troubles on. It inspired us to live deeply. To say it was endearing is a gargantuan understatement.

Robin Williams was once asked, "If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?" His response included a joke, and then the line "to know that there's laughter". 

If there wasn't before, there is now.

Rest in Peace.