Lost friend to suicide

[Gadjobrinus]

I don't know where else to put it, and I know it's not relevant to any of you. Please forgive me posting it here; as the hours pass I find myself reeling more and more trying to put "unreality" to "reality."

I found out a couple hours ago I lost a friend, who committed suicide last week. He was from a circle of people who became my students in a dojo I founded up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We were all extremely tight.

I knew he struggled with depression, as do I. He'd come close to the edge, he told me, a few years ago. But he also said he'd found his way. He had a wife (also my student) and a beautiful little girl.

There are so many emotions and so many words running right now.

All I can ask, is whatever your religious feelings are (or if you have none), could you send a thought to that mother and little girl? Feeling there's some brother and sisterhood in this world, helps some. I hope this makes sense to at least some of you.

Thanks all. Again sorry for using the forum for this.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Sorry, brother. For you, for his wife, for his daughter, and for everyone else who will be impacted by this loss.

 

[Inkleg]

We are not here for the beer. We are here because we are family.
We are here to rejoice when things go well. We are here to try and help when they don't. We are here to try and help anyway we can from the other side of a keyboard.

I've been where you are right now and it is hard to make sense of it and you will not ever truly understand why. Right now I'm remembering Bailey, Dave and Mike lost to the same. It's always hardest on those left behind as they struggle trying to find answers.

May peace be with his wife and daughter and you also during this time.

 

[Cyclman]

Prayers going out for everyone affected by such a tragedy.

 

[soccerdad]

Sorry for your loss. I sat with a friend Friday night as she told me of her son's suicide. It was gut wrenching. She lost Matt almost a year ago. It will take that long or longer for you all to begin to heal and for the grief process to work its way. We are here for you.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Thank you everyone. Chris, I can't believe he's just a name now - was .

I was going to write more but it doesn't matter. I am very grateful for this community of grain. And I'm so sorry for your losses too, brothers. A lot of holes to be filled, but our families and friends, whatever else nourishes those - grateful for them all.

I'm truly grateful.

 

[JohnSand]

I am truly sorry. We cannot really understand someone who gets to a place where he just needs to stop living. I have lost friends this way too. I'll pray for you, and for his family.
I wish you peace, and time to find more joy in having known him than grief in having lost him.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Wow I am very sorry to hear that. I'll be praying for everyone involved.

Last week was suicide prevention week at work and I learned quite a bit about the topic. It's a scary thing to realize that we can lose important people to us and not be able to control that. Life is such a thin ribbon and it's so easy to have it and not realize how fragile it is.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

I am truly sorry. We cannot really understand someone who gets to a place where he just needs to stop living. I have lost friends this way too. I'll pray for you, and for his family.
I wish you peace, and time to find more joy in having known him than grief in having lost him.

Thank you John. This was said so beautifully and I'm going to do what I can to hold on that wisdom. Chris in life was. Chris was my student, then he was my friend, and that was enough.

Thank you all. Sandy, thank you as well. You've been here to help and I truly am grateful.

I don't want to take up a wonderful brewing forum with this personal issue any longer, so I'm going to ask the mods to close the thread. In the same tradition Chris and I once shared, I bow in gratitude.

 

[Pappers_]

. . .so I'm going to ask the mods to close the thread. In the same tradition Chris and I once shared, I bow in gratitude.

Deepest condolences