A Day to Remember

Once upon a time there was a sneak attack on the US - oh wait, it has happened more than once. Each time we think it will never happen again, and yet it does. Today we remember those lost in Pearl Harbor and the 900+ men who were never found on that awful day.

Sometimes life throws us a sneak attack - sends us things we weren't prepared for - didn't expect and then, well, here we are.

Today is also my brother, Davey's birthday. And the whole idea of a sneak attack seems to relate.

He lives with Bipolar Disorder, a chemical imbalance that causes him to question most of his thought processes, his decisions and continue to live a life that has been disjointed at best. The demons of this imbalance attack without warning. One can be feeling well - then that feeling zooms ahead into mania - and the feelings of invincibilty cloud judgment. On the way back down, the body fails to stop at normal and spirals headlong into depression which cripples the ability to see any hope for the future - any point in trying again. This constant up and down cycle is exhausting at best - and for some people - it drains the very life from them.

When I was in Nursing school I worked at Wishard in downtown Indianapolis. People came right from the bus station to our Psych ICU unit and I saw all manner of things that mental illness can to do people. We used to joke that it was a good job because our return patients all came back loopy, but not dying. There were the blessings of clouded memories for people as the medications started to work and their brains returned to normal function. But my favorite folks were always those who were bipolar. Brilliant minds, racing thoughts - they were fun to work with, but the depression was just heartbreaking. We went to NAMI meetings to show our support and be with families trying to cope with something intangible.

Each day these folks, like my brother, struggle through. Sometimes it requires several medications to find not that works. Often times it requires therapy to learn how to cope with the mood swings. More importantly, it requires us to recognize that folks dealing with mental illness get up every day and deal with demons far worse than just a need for a cup of coffee. It takes courage to get through another day - it takes persistence to even dream of a better life - and it takes the wisdom to see hope and joy in the little things that go well.

So on Pearl Harbor day - I salute those of you who live through sneak attacks, and pause to remember those who were not able to make it through.