Zenith of Naïveté is written by Daniel Wescott

It is a fictionalized account of actual events, not merely based on them. I’ve changed the names to protect everyone. Everything in here happened, just not in the order presented. I’ve condensed about two years into around a week. Plus, I’ve thrown my adult views into the mix. You know, the way all of us keep our memories.

For my brother and me, the events depicted in this story were turning points in our lives and relationship with our Mom, each other, and our father. I was in my thirties before I believed my Mom was mentally ill, and I will regret that for the rest of my life. She passed away a few years ago, and our relationship was strained to the point of bare existence after growing up with her. If I’d truly understood, all those complicated feelings would have been softened, and I would have been there for her like she tried to be for us kids, only better. Know what I mean?

I wrote the poem at the end of this in my late twenties. I attached it because it delivers a condensed version of the emotions involved in this period.

I believe this topic is relevant to society due to the mental illness that is so rampant in the Western world, along with poverty and socio-economic stigmas/world views/beliefs.