World Bipolar Day and My Brother's Birthday

I’m Jeanette Lira — the founder of Auravia Therapy & Wellness and Lumvia LLC, a therapist (LPC-S), and coach passionate about empowering others to embrace their authentic selves and build thriving personal and professional lives. My journey has been anything but conventional, shaped by profound loss, bold reinvention, and relentless determination. 

March 30 is World Bipolar Day. It’s also my brother’s birthday. He would’ve been another year older today. But instead, I hold his memory. His laughter. His struggles. His spirit that still walks with me. My brother lived with bipolar disorder. He was brilliant, tender-hearted, creative, and full of light, but he carried storms inside that the world couldn’t always see. He passed away on October 29, 2013. And from that day forward, everything in me shifted. Grief broke me open… but it also gave me purpose. Today, I honor him. 

I honor everyone navigating bipolar disorder. 

I honor the families walking alongside their loved ones, often in silence. 

And I honor you, if you’ve ever felt like no one could possibly understand. You are not alone in this. 

My mission now, through therapy, coaching, mentorship, and community… is to ensure that no one has to suffer in silence. That we as helpers and healers are not only aware, but equipped. That we create safe spaces for both the light and the darkness. 

So today, I light a candle for my brother. And I keep showing up—for him. For you. For all of us. 

Happy Birthday, brother. Your life continues through mine.