I often drive home listening to NPR. This is the only way I’m able to stay up to date on current events. I wasn’t expecting to hear the that Kate Spade, an American Fashioner designer, whom I very much admire, not only passed away but had taken her own life. 

I’ve never met her personally but have found myself as a (frequent) consumer/fan of her brand.  I own anywhere from socks, pencil cases, purses & wallets to electronic accessories, & travel luggage for short business trips or weekend adventures. I’ve done some reflecting on why I own so many Kate Spade items. I believe the reason is because her brand fits who I am as a person. Simple, structured, Timeless, Professional, Polished, Chic, with a hint of quirkiness, and Motivated. 

Its the Motivated piece that I find myself at an emotional halt. I have been asking myself how could the creator of fashion line, that has so much meaning in her collections, get to a place where her own words couldn’t save her. If you follow Kate Spade’s brand you can appreciate finding phrases with your items like a cheeky statement “Eat Cake for Breakfast” (guilty) to the now prolific saying - Find the Silver Lining. 

How do any of us lose hope and then find our way again? What separates someone from holding on and letting go? How do you find the good in a seemingly impossible situation? 

You go searching for that damn line!  

Or even better, you have someone in your circle to help you get there...easy...right? 

Wrong. 

In my own circle of friends, I have people who are just like Kate. In public, they seemingly have it all, top executives in their respective fields, superwomen at their baseline-always striving for world domination. In private, they battle with the pressure of maintaining that facade and neglecting the most important person-themselves. I too have reached points where the To-Do lists are ever growing not shrinking, feeling like I’m doing way too much and too little all at the same time, try my hardest to be the best ____(fill in the blank). And when my standards are not met-feeling like a failure.I’ve also lived through seasons in my life/career where nothing was going right, with little clarity on how I would make it through. 

So, if its not easy to find a silver lining how can we help the over 54% of people that commit suicide but don’t have classic signs of mental illness. Some find comfort in their respective Faith, others have a social network of family and friends or seek professional help. I think most people need someone to acknowledge their struggle. Sometimes just the acknowledgment  is enough to let them know they are not alone. And maybe not feeling alone is the beginning of seeing their silver lining. 

My Silver Lining in this loss, is that I can & should do more to check-in on the people in my circle. Life is not too busy to say/text “Hello”, “I was just calling to check in”, or “I love you.” And now with the plethora of Kate Spade items I own, they will serve as a constant reminder.