I'll take your part When darkness comes And pain is all around --Simon & Garfunkel
This week I took five bullets out of a friend's hand who wanted to shoot himself. He was going for his gun and my daughter sat in his lap to keep him settled and distracted while I talked him into handing over the shells and his wife got the gun out of the room. His dad had recently died and now his beloved dog had been hit by a car and killed. Granted, he was really drunk and may or may not have done anything, but he scared everyone. A lot.
When we got to their house, his wife collapsed in my arms sobbing--and did so a few more times throughout the afternoon. My daughter kept him walking and distracted. I made him eat for the first time in almost two days. We kept pouring out the alcohol. We got more people over to the house. We got the guns out of the house.
After it was all over, my daughter posted on Facebook, "Maybe today could have just not happened." She should not have had to be witness to all that. She should not have had to reverse roles so drastically with someone she looks up to as a father-figure. She should not have had to worry that someone she loves might blow his brains out in front of her. She should not have been the one he called and have that weight put on her shoulders.
The loss of a parent is tough. I know. It's been eight years and I still struggle with the loss of my mom. People lose their pets every day. I've lost several. And I know it's extra hard for people whose pet is their "baby". But they don't threaten to shoot themselves in front of loved ones. If events like that push you that far over the edge, or that's what surfaces when you get that drunk, it's time to get help.
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