Suicide

Death comes for us all.

Most of us will not be able to choose the time, place and form of its coming. Fewer of us will have the luxury to not see it coming. It is a strange aspect of humans that some consciously decide to take their own lives and I, frankly, don't understand it.

How does the Agony a mother feels for a child that has committed suicide compare to a mother who's child was suddenly taken by accident or murder? I can imagine it is an agony that is deeper, more raw and full of painful self-doubt.

Please, consider every interaction that you have with another human. Consider that we're in this thing called life together. Consider that, above all else, you can best help the ones you care about. And, by the way, don't freakin' kill yourself.

My cousin, Miriam, took her own life on Sunday. I hadn't seen her since she was in her early teens. She was a PhD student of 23 working towards a degree in computer science.