Robin

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the suicide death of comedian/actor Robin Williams.

As a live entertainer, Robin hardly had a peer. As an actor, he brought out the depths of an amazingly broad assortment of characters. Not all the roles he took were particularly noteworthy, but he seemed to relish the chance to do something bold, something different.

All his laughter and his apparent love for us made it difficult to understand him taking his own life, but then we heard about his growing battle with Lewy body dementia and it became understandable, sadly understandable.

Having lost a loved one to a long, drawn-out experience with Lewy body dementia, I can understand his decision, even though I could not encourage it. Could I, myself, consider it?

I honestly do not know.

I do not readily get caught up in the presence or absence of a particular performer, but Robin Williams will always strike a chord with me.

I miss him, I appreciate how he enriched our lives, I regret illness took him away so soon.

“You’re only given a little spark of madness,” he’s quoted as saying. “You mustn’t lose it.”

Thank you, Robin, for showing us the wonderful worlds of madness.