Robin Williams’ Daughter Zelda Posts Emotional & Uplifting Message About Grief

Zelda Williams is opening up once again about her grief and sadness, a little more than a year after the death of her father, Robin Williams.

The 26-year-old posted a heartfelt message to her Instagram account on Saturday, urging anyone who’s coping with depression or the loss of a loved one to face their feelings head on.

“Avoiding fear, sadness or anger is not the same thing as being happy,” she wrote. “I live my sadness every day, but I don’t resent it anymore.”

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Zelda went on to explain why embracing the pain is the best way to truly move forward.

 

Moonrise on the lake 🌕 I spent this night shivering and laughing under a clear, cold sky full of stars with people I love just to witness something beautiful. We mooned the moon and laughed ourselves hoarse, and I’m so incredibly grateful for every silly second. I came to a realization this year that I feel compelled to share here, for whomsoever may need it: Avoiding fear, sadness or anger is not the same thing as being happy. I live my sadness every day, but I don’t resent it anymore. Instead, I do it now so that the wonderful moments of joy I do find are not in order to forget, but to inhabit and enjoy for their own sake. It’s not easy. In fact, I’d say it takes much more effort to consciously do than it does to just stay sad, but with all my heart, I cannot tell you how worth it it is. And for those suffering from depression, I know how dark and endless that tunnel can feel, but if happiness seems impossible to find, please hold on to the possibility of hope, faint though it may be. Because I promise you, there’s enough nights under the same yellow moon for all of us to share, no matter how or when you find your way there.

A photo posted by Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) on Sep 5, 2015 at 12:13pm PDT

“I do it now so that the wonderful moments of joy I do find are not in order to forget, but to inhabit and enjoy for their own sake,” she said, captioning a photo of a lakeside moonrise. Zelda was inspired to write after a night out with friends, saying she and the “people I love” wanted to “just witness something beautiful.”

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She admitted that she continues having difficulty finding happiness, but the reward of perseverance is what helps her stay grounded and positive.

“It’s not easy. In fact, I’d say it takes much more effort to consciously do than it does to just stay sad, but with all my heart, I cannot tell you how worth it it is,” Zelda said.

Her words are the latest she’s penned on the fallout of Robin’s tragic death. The day after his passing, Zelda shared a Tumblr post in which she called her dad “one of the kindest, most generous, gentlest souls I’ve ever known.”

In honor of World Mental Health Day in October, she Tweeted about the need to “end the stigma” surrounding “misunderstood & misrepresented” psychological disorders.

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Zelda’s Oscar-winning father committed suicide on Aug. 11, 2014. Although Robin was famous for his comedic talents, he suffered from depression and anxiety for many years.

Zelda continued her Instagram post with uplifting words for any readers who might relate.

“I know how dark and endless that tunnel can feel, but if happiness seems impossible to find, please hold on to the possibility of hope, faint though it may be,” she said. “Because I promise you, there’s enough nights under the same yellow moon for all of us to share, no matter how or when you find your way there.”

— Erin Biglow