Reflections After A Life Is Taken

  It's been a longer than usual break from writing. I try to write at least twice a week, but sometimes daily life or swings in my mood prevent me from keeping that pace. This time, it was something shocking and completely unexpected and it's effect on me the past couple of weeks.

  Exactly 2 weeks ago I found out one of my private students, who was part of group of 4 colleagues learning English, had committed suicide the week before. He was only 38, married, and had a 2-year old son. It seemed his career was very good, he was well-liked and respected by his colleagues, and I had a good impression of him from our classes. Nothing I knew about him or saw indicated he was a troubled or potentially suicidal person.

  The news of his sudden death and that he had committed suicide weighed heavily on my mind all that day and for much of the entire week. Not just about his death, but I also did a lot of deeper reflection on my own life these past 3+ years. What I have been through emotionally and psychologically from the start of this unimaginable nightmare up to the present, and how I have managed to survive the trauma, stress, and even periodic depression that have impacted me. What could have been so difficult or stressful for my former student that would have caused him to end his life when it seemed he had everything else going for him?

To be continued...