For a lot of my life, the late actor Robin Williams was a comfort to me. I grew up watching movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Night at the Museum, and felt like I could always count on Williams for a quick smile, impression, or a laugh. When the actor passed in 2016, his suicide was the first case of celebrity depression I had ever heard of. It was, at the time, devastating to me. It hit me hard that someone who brought so much joy to others could be suffering so intensely in private times. Though his death was tragic, however, it made me more aware of the vast and unexplained scope of depression. It helped me to understand that everyone, even those with seemingly glamorous or ideal lives, can fall victim to mental illnesses. Throughout my life, I've related to Williams in some ways. When I was younger, I struggled with low times, but tried to "fake" my way through my challenges using the good-old "grin-and-bear-it" method. And though it's good to help others irregardless of personal struggles, I've come to understand that it's much more important to prioritize your own well-being over the comfort of other people.

As Williams once said, "I think the saddest people always try their hardest to make people happy because they know what it's like to feel absolutely worthless, and they don't want anyone else to feel like that." It's affected me a great deal to know that often the ones who give the most to others are the ones hurting the most underneath.