sj- god, I am so sorry. I can't help but to be angry about the 8 page suicide note and all that though. Suicide tragedy always makes me angry. Is that horrible of me? Probably.

Yeah, I'm angry too. Did I mention that he blames a lot of people in the note for what he did. Plus, he was living back with his parents, and he took pills before bed knowing his elderly mother would be the one to find him in the morning. There is plenty to be angry about.

Nora, I wish I was there so I could go hang out with you RIGHT NOW. Soon, precioussss, soon...

I am feeling better after having written off the day. Polished nails, took a shower, and now i want to go get takeout and hit my favorite bar, my little slice of NOLA away from home, but I think this guy I met at the fundraiser has a crush on me and I think he got the wrong idea when I happened to be at his workplace buying tools and asked if he was there. AWKWARD. I will not let him chase me away from there, though. I'll just be honest.

Sj - that's awful. ~ma to all the family and friends, and may they find some measure of peace as quickly as possible. How inexpressibly terrible for his mother.

in slightly related news, i find myself (at work) wondering what i could possibly say to callers who find a deceased loved one or aquaintance that is even slightly comforting without being intrusive or rude. I'm often the first person they talk to, and after getting all the information i need(location, medical triage info, etc) often they want to stay on the phone with me until help arrives (which i would never begrudge someone in that situation.) I usually fill up that time asking questions about the scene, when they arrived, if anything was out of the ordinary, etc etc trying to sound procedural yet caring (if that makes sense) and keep their minds on concrete, solid facts that require minimal processing. But really most of the time all i want to do is reach through the phone and hug the poor distraught person. For thems what might have been there, is there ANYTHING that would be reassuring to hear from a total stranger in a time of great distress?

Looks like my sister and dog will be accompanying me to bar. SCORE.

erin, I can't imagine how difficult your job is, and I have no idea what you could possibly say to comfort someone in that type of situation.

is there ANYTHING that would be reassuring to hear from a total stranger in a time of great distress?

Someone is coming, someone will be there soon.

I know its too late to save the person, but, particularly if they're alone, an expert on the way is better than no comfort.

Neat fact learned at the bird sanctuary -- they can make prosthetic legs for sandhill cranes! There were several cranes there with the prosthetic legs. They're not safe yet to be released back into the wild, but they allow the injured birds to still be able to walk around in their cages. Also, the signs said that one of the major causes of the injuries that lead to the cranes losing their leg is getting hit with golf balls.

Someone is coming, someone will be there soon.

I think that would be very comforting.

Someone is coming, someone will be there soon.

Yes, Trudy is right on this one I think. Continually reminding them of that has to be some comfort.

When I worked with the birds at Seaworld, there was a vet whose full-time job was to insert titanium rods into the legs of flamingos. They are beautiful, but basically, architecturally wrong. One good run and it was curtains.

erin, back when I was a police dispatcher, I only had to deal with an onsite death once, and it was heartbreaking. A four year old who could not wake her mommy up.

Honestly, I don't think I could do your job now. bless you for caring enough to find the right words. I agree that reassuring the caller that someone is coming is the best, and in many cases, only thing you can do.