My lovely wife and I went to a wake Thursday evening. The son of my former Fire Captain took his own life at the age of 41. All the Firefighters, both current duty and retired, went to the wake. We had to show our support.
It’s tough when anyone dies, but it’s even tougher when the death is self inflicted. I don’t even want to speculate on why he did what he did. No doubt plenty of people have their opinions. All I know is that those he left behind are suffering terribly.
I hadn’t kept in touch with the guy, but I remember when he was a kid hanging around the fire station. There’s no telling what twists and turns a life will take. Firefighters are a close bunch. It’s a brotherhood, (or sisterhood, as the case may be.) We are like one big family -a big dysfunctional family, but family none the less.
I pray for healing for those left behind.
-Sixbears
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This old world is getting tough for some to cope with...
ReplyDeleteOur thoughts and prayers go out to you and all.
My condolences for the family, suicide is extremely hard on the survivors, especially if there were no signs of distress prior to the demise.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin, who lived next door to us, committed suicide nearly 20 years ago. She had been going to college but and flunking out of her courses so stopped going altogether. Never let anyone else know about it - this went on for a couple of years.
The day of her graduation, she picked up her graduation gown and was on her way home when she decided to pull over and set her car on fire, herself inside it. A bystander put out the fire, but she had been overcome by the fumes anyway and died.
I remember her as a happy, fun loving person. She had three loving brothers and two parents who were happily married. I don't know what caused her to become this desperate - and I will never know.
Yesterday my mother-in-law called, a neighbor had killed herself. The second suicide in her neighborhood this year. This morning I met with a woman whose daughter had also committed suicide. Two of the three were in their 40s. Life is becoming more and more stressful and as society promotes people as dependent and victimized it becomes harder for depressed people to see that they can exercise positive control of their lives. I am afraid that we will see more and more of these tragedies until society changes.
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