Since I am talking about my brother being bipolar, I want to first say that I love him very much. I don’t know all the medical terminology or current ways of dealing with bi-polar. I just know what it is to have a family member live with this. I suppose one day he will write his story. He is only one year apart from me and is turning 50 next week. So the story is long and also inspiring.
His life took a bad turn while he was in high school during the ’80’s when he indulged in many kinds of drugs. After many years of treatment in hospitals, he found a new path through meditating. He was able to be without Lithium for the past 20 years. It was a remarkable turnaround with no drugs or alcohol. He became a total vegetarian and even stopped dating for many years. He almost lived like a monk, except that he is not a recluse. On the contrary, he is very extroverted and is Mr. Communicator and knows many people in the community and in all kinds of social media.
I noticed in the last five years an attempt to integrate more away from his “monk” lifestyle. He incorporated seafood in his diet and even had an occasional wine at dinner. But I also noticed more erratic behavior. That is up to him to share how other substances affect him. He also fell in love with a woman in Colombia and had been in a relationship with her for the past two years. On December 31st, they had a big nasty breakup.
He came home to Miami in January. Our family consists of a total five siblings plus our parents. We have never abandoned him. I only pray that he can get his life in order on his own. He has mustered many challenges in his own life. Let’s see how all those tests will give him the fortitude to come out of his one. I told him this week that I cannot do it for him. He is on his own now. I hope he can transform like this caterpillar in my garden. In a few days it will be a chryssalis in preparation to fly like the butterfly.
Luis, if you are reading this, I am only sharing this as a motivation for you to gather your strength. I believe in you. You are a highly intelligent person with loads of creativity and loads of unfocused attention. I love you and hope your next 50 years will be a testament to many how you can overcome the odds. Will you take the challenge? Look how the caterpillar hangs vertically on that little leaf;-)
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