Don’t wait to show your love for someone till their obituary

I was heartbroken when I heard that Sinead O Connor had died. The outpouring of grief for her has been unparalleled and it left me questioning why we wait until it’s too late to show an appreciation for someone. Like many people, myself included, Sinead had experienced a life of great emotional pain and like many she felt her emotions deeply. We encourage people to talk about their emotions and what they are feeling. We tell them that mental health difficulties are nothing to be ashamed about. That they should tell someone if they are struggling and to not bottle up our thoughts. But in Sinead’s case for some reason this was not the case. She was deemed ‘crazy’, ‘controversial’ and ‘unstable’ because she spoke out about injustices and the deep pain she often felt. It made people uncomfortable and there was this attitude that maybe she should keep things to herself. Watching the way Sinead was treated for talking about her suicidal thoughts made me ashamed for having had them myself.