“I was thirteen when my mother started to change. My parents...

“I was thirteen when my mother started to change. My parents had just gotten divorced. My mother should have been sad but she kept going out to dance. Sometimes she’d stay out all night. She became very talkative and had a hard time concentrating. She’d say that she wanted to sell everything and travel the world. Then she got depressed. She stayed in her room. She gained a lot of weight. I actually preferred the depression, because at least then she’d stay at home. The manic phases got worse and worse. They are so bad now that she has to go to the clinic. Then the depression will come again and she can’t stop crying. Last October she returned to her normal self. It lasted about a week. I didn’t leave her side. We took walks every day. I always tell her that she gave us the best childhood. She was always there for us. She made crafts with us. She taught me how to cook. She would even throw birthday parties for my toys. I still think I’m very lucky. I hate seeing her like this, but she’s still the best mom in the world.”

(Montevideo, Uruguay)