Life is complicated. It’s filled with nuance. It’s unsatisfying… If I believe in anything, it is doubt. The root cause of all life’s problems is looking for a simple fucking answer.
~Anthony Bourdain
With the recent passing of Anthony Bourdain, I can't help but feel this sadness deep in my heart. It's probably been a little over a year since I last saw any episodes of his travel series, but all the episodes I did watch in the past always had three major elements in common: they left me feeling intrigued by other cultures and all the delicious food in the world, they left me feeling inspired by his passion and thrill for adventure, and they left me feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside.
Bourdain spoke his mind and was not afraid to live authentically and speak authentically.
I think the reason why so many people are afraid to talk about mental health is that everyone wants to pretend their lives are fine and perfect, and many people are too afraid to just say what's really troubling them and let their true feelings be known.
This is why I feel it’s important to not just wait for someone you know that may be suffering from mental illness — or specifically, depression — to reach out to you, but to reach out to them as well and check in on them whenever you can or as much as possible.
Sad occurrences like these are just another reminder to always let the people you care about know how much you love them, be kinder to others, and pay a stranger a compliment or two. Sometimes we need to take time out of our own days to pay tribute to another’s.
Life is complex and there is so much to overcome daily. Sometimes, it can feel unbearable, but life is beautiful and it's so important to keep striving and doing the absolute best that we can. No one true life is perfect.
People like Anthony Bourdain touched a lot of hearts and he will be greatly missed. He was a beautiful soul, and my heart goes out to all his friends and family.
Thank you for reading, and I hope everyone has a wonderful day!