Robin Williams

Today, along with millions of other people, I am mourning the loss of the great Robin Williams.  A man who’s death shocked the world.  Everything about him seemed to personify happiness and he seemed so full of life. Leaving the world this way seems an unthinkable contradiction.  For a man who filled so many people with laughter, it is so hard to understand that behind that facade, he was faced with so many demons.  Depression, drugs, alcoholism.  On the outside he wore a smile and seemed to have it all, yet inside he was fighting a battle everyday.

I just looked through his list of works on IMDB and counted at least 18 movies that I watched him in.  That doesn’t even count the television shows.  I think I watched every episode of Mork and Mindy before I was even twelve years old and then over and over again in reruns!  He brought laughter to my home as a child and he continued to do so with my own children.

I knew that I wanted to write about him today, but wasn’t sure exactly how to do it.  I decided that since he was a man of so many words, I would approach it by using words from his own movies.  He was known for so much of his comedic work, but there were also so many profound and unforgettable quotes regarding death and loss as well.

Patch Adams,“What’s wrong with death sir? What are we so mortally afraid of? Why can’t we treat death with a certain amount of humanity and dignity, and decency, and God forbid, maybe even humor. Death is not the enemy gentlemen.” 

Goodwill Hunting, “Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself.”

Jumangi, “What, are you crying? You don’t cry, all right? You keep your chin up. Come on, keep your chin up. Crying never helped anybody do anything, okay? You have a problem, you face it like a man.”

What Dreams May Come, “A whole human life is just a heartbeat here in Heaven. Then we’ll all be together forever.”

Night at the Museum, “Some men are born great, others have greatness thrust upon them.”

Awakenings, “Read the newspaper. What does it say? All bad. It’s all bad. People have forgotten what life is all about. They’ve forgotten what it is to be alive. They need to be reminded. They need to be reminded of what they have and what they can lose. What I feel is the joy of life, the gift of life, the freedom of life, the wonderment of life!”

Mrs. Doubtfire, “…But if there’s love, dear… those are the ties that bind, and you’ll have a family in your heart, forever. All my love to you, poppet, you’re going to be all right… bye-bye. 

 Aladdin, Aladdin “So, three wishes. I want them to be good. What would you wish for?” Genie, “Me? No one’s ever asked me that before. Well, in my case. Ah, forget it.” Aladdin, “What?” Genie, “No, I can’t I…” Aladdin, “Come on, tell me.” Genie, (sigh), “Freedom.”

Perhaps now, he gotten his wish.

 

 

Heaven

Today I watched, What Dreams May Come, a movie starring Robin Williams that came out in 1998.  That was probably the last time that I had seen it.  Today, I watched it again with a much different perspective than I did the first time.  It made me think about Heaven.  I have always believed that Heaven is a place where we all go after we die, and my image of heaven, is that we are in a place where we find ultimate happiness.  We will be there along with all of the people that we have loved in our lives.  It is a place filled with love and joy.  My image of Heaven is peaceful, happy and a place where you feel blissful and loved.

I am sure that others have a different interpretation of Heaven, and I know there are others who do not believe in it at all.  I need to believe in it.  I need to know that one day, the people that I have loved here on Earth, will all be together once again. A place with no illness, no sadness, no stresses.  A place where there is no hate.

A brief synopsis of the movie:   “Chris Neilson dies to find himself in a heaven more amazing than he could have ever dreamed of”.   In his idea of Heaven, everything is artistic, – paintings of sorts.  On Earth, he and his wife were art lovers and dreamed that their heavens would be more beautiful than any piece of art that they had ever seen.  Heaven was represented as his wife’s paintings and showed that heaven is whatever you want it to be.  Heaven was not portrayed as a place with big pearly gates and angels flying.  Heaven was his place of elation.

I don’t know what my Heaven will be like.  I can only hope that when when I am there, I will one day be there with all of the people I have ever loved.   I remember hearing a quote that I cannot quite recall but it said something like, “In a certain way, just believing in the idea of Heaven is heavenly in and of itself” and for now, that is comforting and reassuring to me.