With a Heavy Heart

Tonight I write this with a heavy heart for the Eardley family.

This past weekend the neighborhood family lost one of their sons to suicide after a long battle with depression. I won't get in to any more detail because it's a rather personal matter but I will say that a tragedy of this magnitude is something the Eardley's never deserved to experience.

Yet even in a time of pain and sorrow, I doubt you will hear any questioning from the family. They will not pull out the sympathy card or find themselves quarreling with God.

Instead they will most likely celebrate Matt's life and thank the Lord for the time they had with him. This is coming from a family that would do anything for anyone, regardless of race, gender or financial or political status. In a neighborhood that wasn't always the friendliest, the Eardley's stood out like a green thumb. They were always there to offer a helping hand.

And in a time like this, I hope the community will extend the favor and help their family out as they deal with this devestating event in their lives.

A friend of mine took his own life in 2005 after his own battle with depression and bipolar disease. It was at that moment I realized how strong a grip this disease had on him. This guy had a great job, an excellent education and a beautiful soon-to-be wife. He had work ethic, dedication, loyalty -- hell, he was a human cliche all knotted into one.

He was in Arizona doing charity work when he went out in to the woods and took his own life, leaving his mother with only one last voice mail explaining how he had come to a fork in the road and decided a bullet was the best solution to all his pain.

It was a sad day in a lot of people's lives. Our hunting trips up at the cabin haven't been the same since all of this happened. I still feel for his family now and I will hope to be able to use the experience to help the Eardley's in any way, shape or form possible. I'm not so sure people can really help in these times by doing, but rather just listening to those who need to grieve.

Despite the economy, George W. Bush, President Obama and whatever else the media is throwing out there, we need to remember how fortunate we are, and if we forget, a moment like the one I'm sharing should help to steer us back on track, as there are a lot of less fortunate people out there that need help.

So I ask that we all take some time to help someone around us, even a complete stranger.

Because you never know when you will be the one who needs help.