THE BLOG

One of the most beloved of all Christmas carols is What Child Is This?  William Dix wrote the words to the song while lying in bed wondering if he would live.  The 29 year old Dix had contracted a near fatal illness that put him in bed for months.  As the illness lingered, he became discouraged and depressed, causing him to begin to question if God were real. 

One of the greatest comedians of all time was Robin Williams, who sadly took his own life in 2014. A new documentary on his life called Robin’s Wish addresses the neurodegenerative disease which impacted his suicide. His autopsy revealed that he had Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). LBD is similar to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s but progresses more quickly, leading to rapid loss of motor and cognitive skills. Two years before he took his life at age 63, Williams’ wife asked him what he hoped his legacy would be. Immediately he replied, “I want to help people be less afraid.” This amazing comedian, known for generating great laughter, had battled addictions and depression throughout his adult life and was plagued by fear.

Death has been on my mind lately. It’s not that I have a morbid personality or a fixation on Halloween. It’s that recent life circumstances have forced me to think about it whether I wanted to or not. What happened recently in a space of four days was what put my mind into overdrive as to what I think and believe about death.