Not long ago our beautiful Harry left this world for another. One where we hope he is at peace with himself. Two days before Harry died a peacock appeared outside Harry’s dad's bedroom. Harry’s dad looked at the peacock and talked to him. How the flightless bird got into the high fenced yard was a mystery. When Harry’s dad came back five minutes later the bird was gone, having left a single feather behind.  

The Meaning of a Peacock Sighting, by LJ Innes

Balance and Beauty: Our spirit animals and our totems remind us that finding balance in life is the key to living in harmony. They are the key to the connection between the world we live in and the spirit world we’re part of. Rebirth and resurrection is a recurring theme connected to the peacock; therefore, when you experience a peacock sighting you can be pretty sure that you’re entering a time of rebirth in your life.

Through the tears this week, we have come to believe that this peacock came for Harry. 

We also want to make sure that we as a community learn to talk to each other about mental health struggles. Harry fought depression and anxiety. For his parents, trying to be as open as possible with so little community to talk to made things harder. When he self medicated and became addicted to trying to find his “normal” we were even more lost. People don’t want to talk about it. It’s scary. We get it. It would be good if we were the only family with a child on this path. But if we're not, let’s talk about it. Let’s help our kids. To our dying days, we will always wish something more had been done, more had been known and we had succeeded in easing his pain. We know there are families out there suffering and you are NOT alone. Let’s help each other. If we break a bone we sign the cast. If our mind is hurting we hide it. Let’s not. 

There was a struggle to find a connection with Harry. Harry and his Dad learned to ride motorcycles together. Not the safest adventure but they had a coach, they wore the gear, it made Harry smile, laugh and feel alive. It couldn’t beat the drugs but we wish it had. 

We love you Harry. We miss you. We will feel you everywhere We go. We hope that sharing your journey can save others from this pain. 

About Foundry

Foundry is removing barriers and increasing access to health and wellness services for young people ages 12–24 and their caregivers across British Columbia. At Foundry, young people can easily access our integrated services by walking into a local Foundry centre, exploring our online tools and resources at foundrybc.ca, or connecting virtually through our new Foundry BC app. Referrals are not required to visit a centre or to receive online support, and all services are free and confidential.

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