My mother was batshit crazy. Later in life, I realized that she suffered from narcissistic personality disorder. As a child, there was a feeling that if I didn't serve or please her, she wouldn't love me. I recognized from an early age that her love was very conditional. I became the court jester; I made her laugh to avoid her vengeance. She was physically abusive and thought nothing of hitting another person, relative or stranger. She covered...