I'm breaking my rule of not linking to a personal site without asking first---but I don't think Mark will mind having his tribute to Eve linked. Many writers have linked to it this week, and I think it deserves the widest audience possible. It is a lovely tribute to his late wife. Eve committed suicide last weekend. I was not very familiar with her work before her death, but many who were have written of its beauty.

It's not easy for me to write anything about suicide. There have been several suicides in my family and several more in my circle of friends over the years. The two most recent ones that affected me were more acquaintances than friends, but I was close to people who cared about them.

The question was asked on a forum this week as to whether or not suicide was a selfish act. I didn't respond there, but I will here: yes, it is a selfish act. But it is an act done by someone who sees no way around it. No way to continue to live under current circumstances, and no way to change those circumstances. And to my mind, that outweighs the selfishness. It is incredibly sad.

Do I think anyone could have stopped these last two people I knew? I don't know. According to people who were closer to them than I was, they were in clinical depression, and were at stages where medication was ineffective, at least in their perspective.

Would I have tried to stop them if I had any idea they were contemplating such? Of course I would. I suspect any of us would.

Which brings me to this point: if you are having thoughts of suicide, please talk with someone about it. There are many places to turn. Someone outside your situation might well see an avenue out of your circumstances that you can't see for your sadness.

And if you leave this world, we will be the poorer for it.