The Ice Cream Intervention

November 21st is National Survivors of Suicide Day. A day of remembrance for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. Got me thinking and brought back another memory I wanted to share. I've softened the depressing nature of it by giving this blog post a cute name.

I was still working in Shanghai during the summer of 2003 when I learned from my little sister Diana that Susie was in a bit of a funk.

I remember giving her a call to cheer her up. Didn't know she was already diagnosed with depression at the time. Had no clue she had been on and off antidepressants for a year. Just wanted to cheer her up. Didn't work.

Looking back, if I had known I would've at least had a better approach because I do remember that the call was a bit frustrating. You don't know what to say. The conversation sounds rehearsed. My questions typical. Her answers scripted ...and in her case soft spoken. Which should've been a red flag for me. She was never soft spoken growing up. Ever.

I hung up the phone and felt like sending her something. I went online and ordered her an ice cream maker.

Fast forward a year and a half later to December 2004. Two months after Susie's suicide, Diana and I spent a weekend in her house packing up her stuff. No shit - one of the worst weekends ever. Make no mistake about it, going through your sister's stuff after burying her sucks. Your face is a mess while doing it. The whole process in and of itself is totally depressing.

I did have a happy moment though.

Going through her kitchen, I found that ice cream maker I had given her the year before.

Going through her bookshelf later, I found a recipe book from Williams & Sonoma for homemade ice cream.

The ice cream maker looked like it had been put to good use.

The ice cream book had pages marked up and dog eared.

Knowing that cheered me up.