Ohmigosh!!!
I would just be there for the both of them. Nothing can replace a supportive friend. Since I have been on the boards I have lost two friends to suicide. My friend Ed was in his 40's and recently lost his leg to an infection. He slipped deeper and deeper into depression. He drank and used drugs and shut himself off from his friends. Sadly, he died 2 months ago from an accidental overdose. His close friends believe it was intentional.
Then there was Gary. He was 50 years old, he had been with Charlene for 18 years, had 2 daughters, 3 grandchildren and been with the same job for almost 30 years. He was painfully shy and kept to himself..yet he was a gentle soul who wouldn't hurt anybody. He would tinker with small machinery in his garage on the weekends as a hobby. This one Friday morning he called in sick to work which his wife thought was strange...he never missed work. The next day, Saturday he sat in the garage tinkering. Charlene walked out to the garage, put her arms around him and told him that she loved him. As she turned to walk out the garage she asked him if he was alright...he replied, "I am now". She closed the garage door and heard a loud bang. When she opened it she saw that he had put a gun to his head and blew his brains out. He left behind a suicide note 5 pages long and this was a well thought out plan. He also had checks made out to each of his daughters so they would be taken care of. It seemed that a rumour had gotten started at his job by some woman. Because he was a shy man, she went around telling everybody he was gay...a rumour that he tried to live down 30 years before when he was in the Army. There are no "right" words to say...just be there...and listen.
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