Not many people possess the ability to impact others in ways and forms that lead to crucial changes in their lives. Speaking of those special individuals, we can’t help but think of one and only Robin Williams. His incredible talent and a heart of gold made him one of the best people the world has ever heard of.
He could make everyone laugh, even while he was going through personal struggles.
Unfortunately, Williams died of suicide on Monday, August 11, 2014, and left millions mourning his death. The news came as a huge surprise. People couldn’t stop but wonder how someone so cheerful and fun could die in such horrific manner. But there was more to the story than everyone assumed. The autopsy revealed that Williams had Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), a neurological disease in which protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, develop in nerve cells in the brain regions involved in thinking, memory and movement (motor control), and not Prskinson’s disease as doctors claimed during his life.
Robin Williams was greater than life. His inspiring speeches and quotes which touched many hearts reflected the way he lived.
Now, one woman named Kate Lyon Osher shared an emotional encounter she had with the late actor while she was crying at the LA airport. She had her late husband’s ashes with her and the TSA security gave her a hard time.
“…It wasn’t always easy to get a Tupperware of your late husband’s ashes through TSA security, and at LAX one afternoon I found myself on the receiving end of an agent with a power trip like no other,” Kate wrote, as quoted by HuffPost.
In order to be able to proceed, she had to show her husband’s death certificate, which made her cry.
“I made it to the airport bar still crying and clutching my little container,” Kate went on to say. “I sat in a corner table facing the wall so no one could see how hysterical I was, with my whiskey on the rocks providing support, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“‘Miss, I just want to be sure you are OK. I see you are traveling alone, and I saw what happened, and I just really want to be sure you are OK,'” a soft voice said.
As she lifted her head, Kate realized it was Robin Williams. She never thought someone that famous would be walking at the airport all by himself and would take the time to make sure some random woman was doing okay.
“I was still crying that ugly cry where you are trying to catch your breath, and I gave him the Cliff Notes version of circumstances,” Kate recalled. “His eyes got a little glossy. His voice got softer. And he said to me, ‘Addiction is a real b–ch. Mental illness and depression are the mother of all b–ches. I am so sorry for all the pain your husband was in. I’m so sorry for the pain you are in now. But it sounds like you have family and friends and love. And that tips the scale a bit, right?’ And he walked me to the gate, as we were on the same commercial flight.”
Williams made Kate laugh. He tried impersonating the TSA security guys in order to cheer her up, and he nailed it.
“…when we parted ways, he hugged me. With his famously hairy arms, he gave me a huge, warm, bear hug, and it sustained me. It was a moment I think about all the time. That moment saved me. And sustained me. He sustained me during one of the most difficult moments of my life,” Kate wrote.
The news of Robin Williams’ death broke Kate’s heart.
“Rest in peace, Mr. Williams,” she continued. “May you find the peace that eluded you here and may you keep the angels laughing. Thanks for being there that day for me. You were the angel I needed. And I know you spoke from experience, and I appreciated that.”
Robin Williams was one of a kind. We still miss him dearly every single day.