Gen Y Speaks: It took losing my friend to make me realise how I can be a much better friend
Mr Yeo Sam Jo is a former journalist who works in the media industry. He also co-hosts The SG Boys, a podcast that discusses LGBTQ+ issues in Singapore.
Two months ago, I lost a dear friend to suicide.
He was one of the most cheerful people I knew, and none of us — neither me nor our mutual pals — saw it coming. We all wish we could have done something.
But our friend’s sunny disposition disguised his pain so well that our casual chats did not reveal anything amiss.
Looking back, there were some clues, albeit subtle ones.
“Catch up with you soon man,” he wrote to me on Instagram just a week before his death.
