Jack was an excellent student, and enjoyed sports throughout his elementary and high school years. He graduated from college with a major in actuarial science and landed his first job. But his mother, Maribeth, said he worked very long hours, and although he sometimes said he enjoyed it, she thought the isolation and long hours were very stressful for him. He left his job and eventually became a bicycle courier. He suffered for 10 years from depression, and later developed an addiction to heroin. Maribeth said that Jack's pain became unbearable and he died in his home at the age of 35. Maribeth shares a tribute to her son at: https://www.forevermissed.com/jack-heston/about

She also thinks about the following philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche and quoted by Joseph Campbell: “Nietzsche was the one who did the job for me. At a certain moment in his life, the idea came to him of what he called ‘the love of your fate.’ Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, ‘This is what I need.’ It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment—not discouragement—you will find the strength is there. Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege! This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have a chance to flow.”

If you would like to tell your story about an overdose death, please contact Susan Claire at [email protected]

http://grievingoverdosedeath.libsyn.com/

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