Robin Williams committed suicide today, at age 63. He was an iconic figure from my childhood. I, like most kids of my generation, loved Mork From Ork (Nanoo, Nanoo). And over the ensuing decades he played many more funny characters in a series of films, as well some riveting dramatic roles now and then, and performed some of the funniest and most creative stand-up routines ever. He was a true comedic legend, one of the greats.

The fact that he died of an apparent suicide is the biggest shock. If certain news reports I’ve read are correct then it appears that he battled depression for most of his adult life. And that’s truly a shame. Here is a man that brought joy, laughter, and smiles to millions of people, yet he was carrying this pain inside of him that he eventually couldn’t find the strength to fight anymore.

Depression is real, and it can strike anyone. No matter how great someone’s life looks like on the outside to others, you just never really know that person is really going through. I’m sure it seems unfathomable to many to imagine a worldwide celebrity with wealth and a family could have real personal demons destroying him. But that’s how it works far too many times. Maybe the fame exacerbated things because he felt that he should be happy and couldn’t understand why he wasn’t, or felt that no one really cared about the real him, only the celebrity that they projected him to be. I don’t know, I’m just speculating.

But far too many people who suffer from depression don’t know how to get help, or perhaps they’re too ashamed to seek it. We’re too often made to look at such things as a weakness. C’mon, suck it up! Shake it off! Get over it! Be a man! But there’s nothing wrong with getting help. We need to make sure that people know that.

Well, I may not be a religious person, but I do hope he’s finally resting in peace.