Leena, Jake, Deep, Nicole, Jess and I---THE UPPAL'S---Part One

Manic Depression, You want to call it a Disease, I want to call it a Life

So this is an interesting picture my cousin Leena’s husband Jake found in a closet I assume? Does it look like I was wearing a yellow kimono or something of that sort? I’m not sure what my style was at the time, but it was definitely of the Asian persuasion. You can kind of see that I’ve lost my two front teeth, but look at that smile. It’s rich isn’t it?

It’s funny to me that I have the same eyes I had as a child. I was not a happy child, but then I had spurts of happiness. Basically, I’ve had Manic Depression my whole life. I remember laughing or being depressed as a kid.

When I played with other kids I laughed so hard it hurt. When I was alone I was so quiet it hurt. But I was also at peace as a child. But when I was with Leena, Deep, and Jess, life was the best it ever was as a kid. Those were the best days of my childhood.

Leena was a trip, she pretended to be a doctor and she was a really good one, we played doctor all the time with random pretend boyfriends. She’s now an actual doctor with imposter syndrome and an actual husband. She was literally the funniest human I had ever met and still is. WHEN we were growing up Deep was some sort of spy, on his own, he would mix my mom’s perfumes together and create a potion and put it inside the life-size doll we had.

He later went on to become a Philosophy Professor, Writer and Now he works for the CIA or FBI or something….I hope I don’t get him killed. I was just a quiet kid when I was alone and very studious. I did very well in school. I was the first out of the four of us to learn my time’s tables. I don’t even know what a table is anymore. And i definitely don’t know what time it is. ever…i lost my apple watch…

My sister, Jess, was even more of a trip. She could cry on demand and would do so constantly when we didn’t pay attention to her. She would literally go out to the front yard and start sobbing loud and crazy until someone paid attention to her. She’s the sane one in the family, remember?

By the way the four of us haven’t changed at all. When we get together the laughter is out of control, I mean out of control. Now Jake, Leena’s British husband, who is a hilarious intellectual joins us. Jake is the most intelligent and witty brother-in-law I could have ever asked for. And Nicole, Deep’s wife is a true sister to us. She is also one of the best doctors, wives, and mothers that I know, she is one of the best people that I know. I’m honored to call her my sister.

So that’s us, The Uppal’s.

nina