I just found out that an old friend of mine committed suicide last night. I am numb and shocked with disbelief. I always knew he had mental problems, but never imagined he would ever throw away God’s greatest gift….life. I feel at a loss for words. I keep thinking of how many times I’ve wanted to call him just to see what he was up to and to encourage him, perhaps I could have saved his life….who knows. I am kicking myself for not calling him or emailing him.
I remember hearing how depressed he was after losing his job at the place we met years ago.
I called him up and he told me that he was getting treatment for depression and I even hired him to work for me as an assistant for my network a couple of years ago, but that didn’t work out. He just wasn’t happy here and he quit.
I lost track after I gave him a great job reference, which did help him land a good job. However, I did get another call from another employer for yet another job reference for him a few months later, which led me to think that he did not last long at the previous place of employment. So apparently, he could not keep a job and might have been in the middle of foreclosure of his home? I don’t know the details, but it must have been real bad for him to cash in his chips.
He was a strong believer too, which makes this even more shocking.
Anyway, sorry to be such a bummer. I just needed to vent. Please, dear friend, if you even suspect that someone you know is depressed or even the least bit discouraged, talk to them!
Take them out to lunch and have a long talk with them. Tell them how precious this life is, no matter how bad things might seem, there is always a rainbow at the other end of the storm.
Rest in peace, Dennis. God bless your soul and forgive you.