Mindfull

The TV show One Day at a Time, focuses on a family of three generations; Lydia (the grandma), Penelope (the mom), Elena and Alex (Penelope’s kids). This Cuban-American family portrays a diverse set of problems that many Latin-American families undergo as citizens in the United States. The most prevalent character that the series follows is Penelope. She is an early aged single mother, nurse, and veteran. Throughout the series, her character learns how to control her PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Living with her mother causes a stigma against medication and therapy. When Penelope is at a low point, Lydia learns to accept that therapy and medication heals and eases Penelope’s struggles. Penelope’s kids also deal with anxiety: Elena is under pressure with school and her sexuality and Alex faces racial slurs. Penelope teaches her children to communicate how they feel and support one another as a family; they check in with each other and make sure to remember the importance of taking time out of the day to support their mental health. Lydia first suggests that Penelope should attend church and use Cuban remedies to “cure” her PTSD. Later in the series, she encourages her grandchildren and daughter to advocate for mental health. Lydia makes sure she follows her own emotional well-being. At a point of the show when she reveals to Penelope about her experience leaving Cuba and her family in order to have a better life in the US.

Personally, this show prompted my family to have conversations about mental health that we didn’t have before. Bringing the topics about mental health in my Mexican-American household is always difficult because I do not always know how my mom will react. Watching this show and witnessing how the characters’ mental health are impacted by war, school, sexuality, and race helps my mom to create compassion and empathy that was not previously there before.