When I woke up in the early hours this morning, I checked the time on my phone out of habit. I wish I hadn't. As I clicked the button, the time became the last thing on my mind as I saw notifications from various people on Twitter all saying the same thing. RIP Robin Williams. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I went on to Sky News and saw that he had died in an "apparent suicide". I was in shock.
I grew up watching the likes of Mork and Mindy, Aladdin and Mrs Doubtfire. There is no doubt that Robin Williams was one of my favourite actors as a child and even now his films have me in stitches.
How could it be that one of the funniest and seemingly happy men ever know felt that he couldn't go on anymore?
I saw one response to a blog post this morning which said "What was the reason for his depression? Wasn't aware he was suffering from it..."
The truth of the matter is that there is often no reason for the depression, which makes the sufferer feel all the worse as they know they should be grateful for what they have. This then leads to a feeling of guilt about the emotions they are experiencing.
It is for this reason that many of those with depression become very good at hiding their symptoms as they would rather suffer in silence than face the usual comments of "Can't you just snap out of it?" or "What have you got to be depressed about? There are so many people worse of than you?"
Depression, and other illnesses like it, are silent killers for the simple fact that there is still not enough understanding about them. We all need to make the effort to become more aware of mental health so that we can support those around us and stop these tragic incidences from occurring.
May Robin Williams be a lesson to us all. Just because someone may appear to be the life and soul of the party, does not mean that they aren't fighting a world of pain inside. Look amongst those around you and if their smile doesn't reach their eyes, reach out to them.
I will leave with with the most fitting tribute that I think I have seen today...
Inspired by a video I saw on YouTube, I decided to write a list of memorable things I did in 2013. Here it is…
1. Started Powerhooping (and got lots of bruises)
2. Went for a family meal at Pizza Express with the
squishies
3. Took mum to see The
Quartet at the cinema for her birthday
4. Went to the Outdoors Show in the snow
5. Sat in the front row during Charley Boorman's talk
6. Went to Kay’s 30th birthday party
7. Finally picked up my darling Tychy Broom Broom
8. Felt like a learner driver again
9. Spent an awesome weekend with my friends in Guildford
10. Took part in 4’s Teen Health Topic Training in
conjunction with the Department for Health
11. Celebrated GOLD’s 21st birthday with
members of Team Russia 2010 and 2011 and lots of other GOLDies
12. Went to the Who Do You Think You Are? Show
13. Took part in Kent West’s Fun in February weekend at
PGL
14. Got Chickenpox at the age of 28
15. Fangirled a little when Ant and Dec performed Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble on Saturday
Night Takeaway
16. Went on the National Trainers' Conference
17. Piloted the new Healthy Relationships topic pack at
the National 4 Basic Training weekend
18. Met Emma Brown
19. Took part in our first Swanley Twinning Association
exchange weekend and welcomed the president of the Verrières-le-Buisson
committee into our home
20. Went to Cambridge for the first time
21. Found out I could take panoramic photos on my iPhone
22. Saw Iron Man 3
at the cinema
23. Sent Emma a goodie pack of fun stuff to cheer her up
24. Dog sat my cousin's dog, Roxy, and discovered she
really likes ponds and lakes
25. Went on Nicola's Hen Night
26. Quit my job
27. Went to see McFly for the umpteenth time
28. Won a signed copy of Giovanna Fletcher’s book, Billy and Me29. Decided I wanted to open a tea room – so did Emma
Brown
30. Read a poem at my granddad’s funeral
31. Had a lovely time catching up with cousins that I
haven’t seen in years
32. Went to Nicola and Ryan's wedding
33. Went shopping with Mum and Nan to help Nan pick a
bracelet that she wanted to buy with the money Granddad left her
34. Made a memory book of Granddad’s funeral service with
lots of photos in and ordered copies for my family
35. Went on a Business Seminar with Emma Brown
36. Tea room research at Croft Tea Room in St Mary Cray
37. Asked Colin out (or did he ask me - we may never know)
38. Went to Tracy and Paul's wedding
39. Went to Kirstie and Lee's wedding
40. Kissed Colin for the first time during our first dance
together at this wedding
41. Saw Now You See
Me at the cinema
42. Spent the weekend with the awesome Emma Brown camping
in a tipi in her garden, toasting marshmallows to make smores and drinking
Pimms
43. Had a tarot card reading
44. Went to a teddy bears' picnic with the Rainbows
45. Tea room research at Biddy’s Team Room in Norwich
46. Found a cute Astrology shop in London
47. Saw Carrie Hope Fletcher in Les Miserables
48. Wrote a list of 30 things to do before I turn 30
49. Saw McFly on my birthday at Music on the Hill
50. Had a night out with my beloved Tropicanas
51. Spent an awesome night camping in Bedgebury (despite
the weather)
52. Celebrated Dad and Caroline's 40th wedding anniversary
53. Got a new job
54. Discovered Psychologies
magazine
55. Went to a charity football match – Les Mis vs Phantom
– and watched Danny Jones get a yellow card
56. Went on Jo, Alex and Clare’s Hen Night and had a
competition to see who had the most wedding roles
57. Saw The Mortal
Instruments: City of Bones at the cinema
58. Went to Michelle and Frank's wedding
59. Went to Spain with Jenna
60. Renewed my Guide Promise at La Font Magicá in
Barcelona
61. Went on a six hour train journey from Barcelona to
Murcia
62. Got choked up when I saw photos of my eldest nephew on
his first day of school
63. Ran my first Region 4 Basic Training weekend as LaSER
4 Coordinator
64. Eddie from Loveable Rogues replied to one of my tweets
65. Saw McFly (and Busted) at the Royal Albert Hall…
TWICE!
66. Did the Shine Half Marathon in aid of Cancer Research
UK
67. Stopped taking my ‘happy’ pills
68. Enrolled on a GCSE Psychology course
69. Discovered I make a mean Baileys and Malteasers
Cheesecake
70. Took part in the Tropical Pool Tournament and went out
in the first round
71. Went to a wedding with Colin and randomly bumped into Charlie
Mitchell and Katy Russ from school
72. Was bridesmaid at Jo and Richard's wedding
73. Discovered the Happier app
74. Went to Thailand with Colin – our first holiday
together
75. Sent a Chinese Lantern up into the sky for my granddad
76. Went on the back of a bike
77. Had my photo taken feeding a baby (toddler) tiger
78. Started keeping a journal again
79. Came home to my iPhone 5s
80. Made my first contactless card payment (and was a
little too excited about it!)
81. Saw Scouting for Girls at the Royal Albert Hall and
had to explain to my mum that they were nothing to do with guiding
82. Got tickets to see McBusted in 2014
83. Was complimented about my enthusiasm and dedication to
4
84. I managed to pair up my new phone to Tychy’s Bluetooth
all by myself
85. Signed up for the Happier Gratitude course
86. Enjoyed a chocolate tasting evening for Emmi’s 30th
birthday
87. Saw The Hunger
Games: Catching Fire at the cinema
88. Went Christmas shopping with Mum and Caroline
89. Saw Andre Rieu live with Mum and Uncle Alan
90. Saw Jack Whitehall at my local comedy club for a crazy
cheap price
91. Went to my first Christmas do with Osborne and glammed
it up 20s style
92. Went to a boat party on the Thames with my Tropicanas
93. Celebrated Peter's 70th birthday
94. Saw The Hobbit:
The Desolation of Smaug at the cinema
95. Spent Christmas Day at Colin's parents' place
96. Spent Boxing Day at my parents' place
97. Watched my niece and nephew ride their bikes for the
first time
98. Tea room research at Alice’s Tea Shop in Sevenoaks
99. Went to Alex and Tom's marriage blessing
100. Saw the New Year in with Colin
