A powerful and important piece, cashew. It brought many thoughts to mind. I've known a few people who attempted suicide at one or another time in their lives. I have not known anyone who was successful -- however I know one mother whose bipolar daughter killed herself. The mother is absolutely devasted and trying to put her own life back together. I know one son whose father killed himself. Even though the father had a health condition that would kill him anyway, the son, Dave, was deeply affected. The son is 60 now. The father killed himself when the son was in his teens. I just found out that Dave just spent five weeks in Europe researching his father's life in Belgium and the Netherlands during WW2. I believe the suicide of his father affected him so strongly that finally now he is trying to unravel the whole story.

Still, I can see how someone might want to end it all.

I'm very glad that you are with us and writing with such a personal and authentic voice.

You posted this essay about psychic pain more or less in the same time frame as Meriadoc was writing about physical pain.

All in all it's been a rough night.