DAY THIRTY-ONE

“Huh? Yea, I feel very talkative today, very talkative and when I’m alone and don’t have anyone to talk to, I talk to the cat, and when I can’t think of anything more to say, do you know what I do? I sing.”

My mother, ladies and gentlemen. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder about four years ago. You would be surprised how much family tension can be relieved by simply naming her erratic behavior. It is as though the extreme ends of her personality are now viewed as curious garnishes that frame her true personality. As a result of her condition, she has experimented with a sick amount of drugs, probably more than my brother and I combined. Anyways, we have all lived with her long enough to recognize the waxing and waning of her manic - depressive phases. While speaking to her on the phone yesterday I realized, it’s been a long time (more than a year) since I have seen her manic like this.