My heart feels sliced in half today.
I have been removed from the idol scene for a few years now, but there was a time in college and graduate school when SHINee’s music meant a lot to me. I bonded with two of my closest friends over their music; no matter how far-removed we were as fans then, it truly feels like we’ve lost something precious today.
As someone with clinical depression, just a scant few months older than Jonghyun, and as someone who has felt a similar kind of hopelessness and despair, I am truly sick with grief at how society keeps failing individuals with mental illnesses.
Take this moment to reach out to your loved ones and check in on them. The ones who smile the fiercest on the outside are often the ones who are crumbling on the inside.
I leave you with a song that Jonghyun covered on Immortal Song 2 back in 2011. To this day, it is one of my favorite performances by him.
Originally a Latvian song and popularized by Russian singer Alla Pugacheva, the Korean version 백만송의 장미 was first sung by Shim Soo-bong in 1997. Korean lyrics and English translation by me below.
| 백만송이 장미
미워하는 미워하는 미워하는 마음없이 먼 옛날 어느 별에서 사랑을 할 때만 피는 꽃 진실한 사랑은 뭔가 미워하는 미워하는 미워하는 마음없이 이젠 모두가 떠날지라도 미워하는 미워하는 미워하는 마음없이 수백만송이 백만송이 백만송이 꽃은 피고 수 많은 세월 흐른 뒤 |
One Million Roses
When you love only without hate, without hate, without hate A very long time ago A million flowers come to bloom What can true love be When you love only without hate, without hate, without hate Now though everything may disappear When you love only without hate, without hate, without hate Many millions, millions, millions of roses bloom After many an age passed, |
반짝반짝 한국어 
I feel the same way… I’ve been crying for 2 days it feel like 2 weeks 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve been crying for days, this is so sad and then reading the letter, like no one was there when he needed it, your statement “I am truly sick with grief at how society keeps failing individuals with mental illnesses” it’s true, we can’t continue like this
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s heartbreaking. Unpopular opinion, maybe, but even if it’s no one person’s fault when someone commits suicide; it’s kind of everyone’s fault. Everyone (society’s) fault for not making mental health a priority, for creating stigma, for not making help readily available…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Its a sad truth 😳 we all to blame, I hope that we can begin to break the stigma of mental health or we’ll continue to lose ppl
LikeLike
Thank you for the English translation.
LikeLiked by 1 person