Before I got up the gumption to call myself author and to pursue my dreams wholeheartedly, I was the queen bee of helpers. I was always encouraging others, and I admired people who were unapologetically themselves. Sometimes, as a writer, you quietly live out loud. You can bury your beliefs behind characters and sentiments, and if you’re really careful, you can avoid confrontation altogether. And rejection.

Robin Williams was that kindred spirit to all. – Author Joy W. Simone

He was a living, breathing example of being yourself fully, and simply in that, we loved him. We love him. His skill and work ethic were proof that gifts blossom based on our commitment to bring them out. Robin was an artist’s artist. I’ve never seen him in a role that he did not deliver and do it well, and with nuance. I loved him. He made it okay to be your quirky self, your goofy self, your nerdy, nonconformist self, your dance to the beat of your own drummer self.

And yet, we knew that he was somehow suffering, even if we couldn’t put our fingers on it. I am saddened and also angry because it was him, not his works, that I felt connected to. When he sat down for an interview, you felt that he was talking to you, sharing his deepest self with you, a voyeur and friend. Was there something we missed? Could we have “saved” Robin Williams? In these times, we see so much strife and conflict, senseless deaths, wars, and competition for mere survival.

Letting your light shine is serious business. . And so we honor those who dare to wholly… Be.

Do we accept the charge to take up the gauntlet? Or would we say those who shined brightest were living in vain?

Shine on, Robin! Peace to your soul.

 

 

More on Robin Williams:

CNN.com – Robin Williams was in early stages of Parkinson’s disease, wife reveals