There was this prompt I came across on Mountain Beacon, asking, “What keeps you going?” Immediately, I thought of that classic line, *“Para kanino ka bumabangon?”*—you know, from that Nescafe commercial that always hit a little too close to home. But somehow, my mind twisted it, as minds sometimes do, into *“Para kanino ka nagpupuyat?”* Because if I’m honest, it’s not just about what gets me out of bed each morning but about the late nights, the nights spent on alert, the unwavering vigil.
I thought of my son, who, on his tougher days, truly needs someone there, present and watchful. Living with bipolar disorder is a daily battle, one that’s relentless and unpredictable. For him, every day is a balancing act, and every small thing can feel like an enormous struggle. And as someone who loves him, I know that all I can do is show up and help however I can, even if it means holding space in the quiet hours of the night when sleep would be easier but vigilance is necessary.
So when I think of “what keeps me going,” it’s him, yes. Especially when he needs to keep things steady when he feels anything but.
