Love's Illusion

I have wanted to write about five recent deaths (among others) in our community, but have found the need for courage. I then realized that I have needed the anger to pass, the most recent deaths of Corey and Keaton, happening within a week of each other very recently, affecting me on a sincere level. It seems we have lost five special friends all too soon in our community in just a years’ time. All five special souls I have related to in the sense that they were real people that struggled with real issues in life. Their stories all ring home and I just can’t get any of them out of my mind as of recent. Three I felt I was close to, though not close enough. There is no explanation or rational design to grief, and it does not always center around the death of loved ones or friends. Grief is a shared communal thing among all people on the planet, it is not sensible and square, but round, messy, unpredictable, yet natural and I am finding, a very organic emotion. We may feel grief about our lost dreams, our aging bodies, our or our family member’s disabilities, or our simple struggle on our life paths. I am amazed how the deaths of these five beautiful and gifted people have brought us together in our small community as we share our collective grief about our own and others’ stories.

On another note, which I am hesitant to and yet needing to express, is that there is an underlying and undeniable message here. We need not sweep mental health under the rug. You may not relate to this term, and that is beyond unimportance. Struggle perhaps is the right word. We MUST acknowledge others suffering and our own. We can only connect to and reach out to those that are suffering if we are honest with ourselves. We need Mental Health services on Lopez Island, but on a greater scale we all just need to wake up. Life is not perfect, and Lopez is not about being retired and wealthy. We have so many causes to support, endless non-profits and fundraisers for all types of activities and interests. I have a deep place in my heart for those on the fringe of society, and yet still did not do enough to reach out to my friends that are no longer with us. Please join me in the fight to raise awareness around this issue in San Juan County. I have limited resources, but sometimes it just takes mentioning it to the right people. It is only when ideas are exhausted that any breakthrough can occur.

I extend my heart, my tears and my love to our friends that have passed, and I promise to myself that I will speak up, care, and reach out to those who may need someone to notice what is really going on.