Accepting the Cycle

I believe in many forms of a cycle. For instance, the bitter sweetness of repeated accounts of falling in love after failed results. The trees and soil that produce the vegetation we eat to survive. The exhausting process of a mother birthing her child, these are a few of the cycles that make up civilization. Without a reoccurring series of ups and downs, there would be an extinction of everything- even mankind.

My belief in cycles stems from my mother’s mood swings. She has been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, and is labeled as mentally ill, whatever that means. To have bipolar disorder a person tends to have extreme mood swings, ranging between periods of extreme mania and severe depression. I admit, this does happen from time to time, but it doesn’t seem to interfere that much with her functioning within society. Everyone goes through cycles of emotion, be it happiness, sadness, depression, or anger. Why does my mom’s cycle have to be so exaggerated?

I am inspired by her duties that she tends to everyday despite her cycles of mood swings. Even when she’s severely depressed, or goes into her manic stage, I know that it is just a phase, and she will be back working six days a week after it is all over. She will be taking my younger brothers to baseball, football, and wrestling practice. She will be keeping a clean house, preparing dinner, and be ready to repeat this weekly cycle. You would think that society would give her credit for doing these things even through her condition.

After countless times of her having to be hospitalized or medicated, a few family and friends of hers view her as unstable and beneath them; they just don’t realize that her version of the cycle is slightly different from theirs, but different is okay, right? I often find myself standing up for her at times because I would have felt humiliated if I had been in her shoes, and every time she tells me, “it’s okay”. I admire her ability to not be intimidated or broken by people’s opinions of her. The only opinion that matters is her own, and those of her children; I personally think she is superwoman.

Caring for children and keeping a job for over 15 years is proof enough that my mother is stable. Having extreme cycles of emotion are a part of her life and can happen to any being. If anything, her ability to keep going strong after undergoing her episodes is motivating and an encouragement. If my mom can, then I can take on any of life’s cycles, from little things like paying bills monthly, to big things like falling in and out of love. Knowing that there is a high and low peek of every aspect in life prepares me for anything. Regardless of what’s thrown my way, life cycles keep repeating. I just have to be strong enough to endure it all, just like my mom.