dark days and then light...

I read this article today and was deeply touched by it ... not just because it is about the death of a young woman who took her own life -- in the heart of the city.

If you can, read the story. It captures the story of the end of a life but also the story of a rebirth of a city; it tells how the media doesn't tell us about the people who take their own lives -- as if not talking about it will make it not so?

It tells the story of survival -- of the author and countless others, who wait for dawn through very dark days.

I am going to post what "her mom" posted on the blog where her neighbors speculated and commiserated with this young woman and her family. It is an important statement whether it comes from her mom or not.

I wish them all whatever peace they can find -- and to those living through dark days the strength to hold on. It was not so long ago that I was living very dark days. The difference is that I have not given in to the emotion that leads to suicide for many years. I knew that I would survive ... I knew it would be painful, but I was assured the lighter side. I wish there was a way to give everyone the faith in that light. Dawn comes, it really does.

Let me tell you about the young woman who jumped from the top of the Premiere Apartment Building on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 10th, because she deserves to have her true story told. My dear daughter, 10 days from her 23rd birthday, was an Ivy League student nearing completion who grew up in Pennsylvania and Georgia earning straight A's, serving as a student government officer, participating in varsity sports, and maintaining an active social life with a lively and diverse crowd of friends from around the world. In fact, she was world-traveled herself and fluent in Spanish. She was a brilliant writer, a creative visual artist, and she had an incredible sense of humor. She was known for her fashion-forward style, her vivacity, her stellar intellect, and her intellectual and spiritual curiosity and openness. This fact will surprise everyone: She was an incredibly happy person. Even at the time of her death, she was very happy and full of life. She was not pregnant, and even though there were some stresses in her life, she was managing them normally. From the consensus of the many family members and close friends - many of whom have psychology and medical degrees - who spoke with her within the last few weeks, some less than 24 hours before the tragic event, this wonderful young woman had just begun to suffer from a first-ever manic episode that had not been diagnosed and progressed very fast. When she jumped, we have surmised that she was not intending to take her own life but rather was caught in a moment - of very sudden onset - when she lost touch with everyday reality and expected to have a different outcome from her action. Indeed she had many unrealized plans and dreams - to join the Peace Corps, to become a writer, to travel to more countries, to spend more time with her extensive extended family, and to deepen her spiritual study. If there is one thing her short but full and meaningful life proves, it is that mental illness can creep up suddenly and prove to be devastating, almost from out of nowhere. If there's one more thing her life teaches us, it is to live with gusto and love everyone around you every day. All of us, family and friends, agree that she was one of the most loving and generous spirits we have ever known, and we only hope now, after grieving this unexpected and untimely loss, to increase the measure of our own quality of living to live up to what she would have wanted for us and for everyone. Thank you for your prayers and concern, and may you take the truth to help others.

You can find the blog post with comments here. You can find a follow up article about the community's reaction here.

I am loving the Los Angeles Times every day a little more -- they are full of much of the same stupid stories but then there are gems, particularly from this gentleman and the other columnists.