Sadness...

I just found out this afternoon that a distant cousin of mine took his own life yesterday. It is so sad as he leaves behind 2 sons, 3 siblings and an ex-wife who still cares for him. He struggled for a long time with alcoholism but has been sober for almost 18 yrs. He also suffered severe depression at times and, in recent years, suffered with cluster headaches that no one could fine a cause for. He was also a talented artist. His parents were very good friends of my parents and our families spent many good times together when we were growing up. Even though I haven't seen him in a long time I will miss him greatly. It's hard to imagine feeling that life is so awful that you can't take it anymore. But, as his brother said to me, if he were really "himself" he would NEVER have done this to his family. I pray that he is at peace now and that his family will be able to come to terms with this in time. I am thankful for the happy memories I have of him.