Tuesday, August 12, 2014

What Dreams May Come

Many of you may know I am a painter. What you may not know is that I am a widow. My husband died in a car accident. May of 2001. One of his favorite movies;



We watched this movie, before he passed, many times. He totally connected with this film and it still weirds me out, that he died in almost the same manner as Robin Williams character did. Not only that, but I am a painter. He could totally see me getting lost in a sea of paint. I often do.
After my husband passed, my children and I called the anniversary of his death "D Day" Just like in the movie. We would make plans to spend the day together and just try to get through it, as best we could, and still do. My husband loved Robin Williams. This movie dealt with loss, death and grief in a way that our culture usually ignores. That was such a gift, through Robin's work we had conversations about death that this movie inspired. I am so grateful for that. My husband was a Jew and he thought Robin was one too, because of the Yiddish accent he used on many occasions. Turns out he wasn't. Remembering Robin Williams, ‘honorary Jew’ | Bloggish | Jewish Journal
 I heard about  Robin Williams death, at work, and I used my lunch break, to take a walk and remember all the laughs he gave me and the time I cried through "Good Will Hunting" which earned him an Academy Award. It made me sad to hear of his passing and I felt such sorrow for his family.


"To sleep--perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,"
Robin Williams shuffled off this mortal coil. We are all better for his amazing gift on this planet. He gave my family many happy hours. He touched all of our souls. 
Rest In Peace, Robin, your work touched so many lives. 


"To be, or not to be--that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep--
No more--and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep--
To sleep--perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprise of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action. -- Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia! -- Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remembered."




3 comments:

  1. Very nice tribute. I was not a Williams fan myself, but I can appreciate the fact that you, and so many others, were affected by his work. That's one, perhaps the chief, function of art.

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  2. Mr Williams really touched a lot of lives. Depression is a really horrific thing, having the ability to lay low even those who are successful and well-loved.

    It's a blessed thing that he was able to help others deal with their grief, it's a tragedy that he couldn't find hope to persevere.

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  3. Hopefully, from this tragedy, there will be more help for people suffering from depression. My husband also suffered from it. There is so little understanding for these people. Robins tragic last act, may serve to help so many others.

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