playing...

I was playing chess with life and somehow I managed. No big victories though. 

The good thing in this game is that when you perform a valuable act you get back one or more pieces you previously lost, while the opponent loses the same number of piece/s you gained. 

Fair enough I suppose. 

Then the almost nine years spent with my schizophrenic mother arrived and it was a real massacre! The only left piece was the king: me! And all the rest butchered.

It took years to recover physically and psychologically. 

But now my pieces are all back. I understood sooo many things that indeed, I must say I feel grateful. Nothing smoother could have taught me so much!

Now, at 72, I am ready to play the second (and final) round!