Last updated on March 7th, 2023 at 04:17 pm
Today I say goodbye to a hero of mine Robin Williams.
As a motivational speaker, I’m always trying to make people happy. Robin Williams always reminded me it’s not that easy. And some darkness is just insurmountable. Even in death, Robin teaches me to see those suffering from depression through the eyes of compassion.
Today I write this not-so-dreamy dream story with a heavy heart. Because No, I didn’t know Robin. We had no chance encounters. No chatting over cocktails. I never even saw him up close.
But I feel like I knew him.
We all did.
Because he made us laugh repeatedly and worked his way into our hearts, every decade of my life has his footprint. I experienced him from an audience. I learned from him as another funny person studying the art of humor.
His characters in Mork and Mindy, Patch Adams, Mrs. Doubtfire, and all the others he played gave me laughter, hope, wisdom, courage, and belief. He embodied the art and soul of making people laugh and feel something.
The Dark Side of Comedy
While I haven’t suffered from as dark of depression as he did, I will not try to say I know how he felt. I do know what it feels like to be seen by the world as the one always laughing even when you’re not laughing on the inside.
Even funny people have pain.
Comedians learn to laugh at it, or rather laugh through it.
To Those Who Understand How Robin Felt
I would also like to make a quiet plea to anyone reading this who understands how Robin felt and who faces darkness each day that threatens to overwhelm them. Please don’t wait for us to pick up on a silent clue. Please don’t suffer in silence.
Please don’t go through this alone. Please reach out and get the help you need. There may be people out there who can help you find the light again.
Gone But Not Gone
Robin may not be here, but his legacy will live on forever through his characters and his movies, his goofy smile, contagious laugh, and wise eyes. Robin, you always have and always will make many people in this world happy.
My heart breaks that you weren’t able to find it yourself. Rest in peace and laughter.
Need help? Know someone who needs help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
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Kelly Swanson is an award-winning storyteller, comedian, motivational speaker, Huffington Post Contributor, and cast member of The Fashion Hero television show airing on Amazon Prime. She is also the author of Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale, The Land of If Only, The Story Formula, and The Affirmation Journal for Positive Thinking. She was a featured entertainer for Holland America Cruise Lines, keynote speaker for the International Toastmasters Convention, and has keynoted major conferences and corporate events from coast to coast. She just launched her one-woman show Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale in theaters, and it is being booked all over the country. In July of 2022, she was inducted into the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame.
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