‘Til Times Get Better

Arista, Elle Louise

Description

Heart wrenching book with triumph over tragedy. Elle found the inner strength and courage to move beyond the devastation that surrounded her. A soul touching read…definitely a 5.

-America K. West Palm Beach, FL

This book left my heart hurting for Elle and children like her. The family members each hid their own lies and shame… It inspired me to know these same children can become the strength of the world. What we (I) do matters! ... - Jean B. Round Lake, IL

From her earliest childhood memories until the age of 17, Elle fought a battle that didn't belong to her but to adults. At 4, she was removed from her parents due to physical abuse…and that was just the beginning. Elle quickly learned how to survive each situation she was given: adoption, foster care, abandonment, sexual, physical, emotional abuse, secrets, and later the search and rejection by her biological father. She was always able to hide under a smile of masks at school. But everything changed the night her father put a gun to her head. That was the defining moment. Elle realized if she didn't take things into her own hands and escape the abuse, she would probably end up dead. This memoir is the true story of Elle’s journey to save her own life and begin a new one. It is an inspiring voyage of relentless courage, self-reliance, and most of all forgiveness. Through her darkest challenges she never lost hope. She found that love and life can still exist if you never give up and remain steadfast in your personal quest for healing. Elle fought being a victim and became a “Survivor.”

Sujets

• Vie de famille
• Parentalité et Éducation des Enfants
• Parentalité
• Parentalité
• Parentalité
• Self-help
• Physical
• Psychological abuse
• Inspirational

Informations

• Publié par: Balboa Press
• Date de parution: 13 septembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798765231692
• Langue: English

Extrait

'TIL TIMES GET Better
Elle Louise & Arista
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Copyright © 2022 Elle Louise.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
Balboa Press
A Division of Hay House
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.balboapress.com
844-682-1282
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well- being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
ISBN: 979-8-7652-3168-5 (sc)
ISBN: 979-8-7652-3169-2 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022913192
 
Balboa Press rev. date: 09/02/2022
 
 
 
 
 
This Book is Dedicate d to:
ALL
the
B rave
Courag eous
SURVI VORS
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Young and in Love or Lust?
Chapter 2 Home Sweet Home
Chapter 3 Well, That Didn’t Last Long
Chapter 4 The Master Puppeteer
Chapter 5 Government Property
Chapter 6 My First Adult Decision
Chapter 7 ‘Til Times Get Better
Chapter 8 Happy Wife, Happy Life
Chapter 9 I Smell a Rat!!
Chapter 10 Exposed
Chapter 11 Can We Start Over?
Chapter 12 My Peace with Mom
Chapter 13 Your Loss
Chapter 14 The Journey Forward
Resources
Acknowledgments
Notes from the Author
Co-author Bio
Chapter 1
YOUNG AND IN LOVE OR LUST?

Not a perfect love story, but it was theirs. It began in the great Midwest where they both grew up. It was the ‘60s when they fell in love, a time when their city was thriving with Sailors from the prominent Naval Boot Camp/Great Lakes, a vast training ground for seaman. The Navy had been transforming civilians into Sailors since 1911. Now the young recruits were gearing up for another war, one they had never expected - Vietnam.
But for the moment, Rock ‘n’ roll was in full bud just like the Main Event of the times—Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison—the undisputed rockers of the airwaves. Drive-in restaurants with perky, smiling Car Hops taking your orders were the daily hangouts. The children of post-war babies had grown up and had the world by the ass. Teens ruled. According to the marriage certificate, my parents were just that; my mother was sixteen years old (barely), and my father was nineteen. My mother, Ellen Wagner, and my father, Edward Meyers Jr., were married in the spring of 1962.
In pictures I’ve seen, my mother Ellen was a blondie and beautiful, super skinny and tall with a tiny waist and huge breasts. She was a good storyteller, too. She used to tell me how everybody was in a Buddy Holly craze wearing classic poodle skirts, saddle shoes, and twirling their ponytails. It was a picture painted straight out of Happy Days, except there was no Fonzie. (Well, maybe my father…who you’ll meet soon.) Huge groups of young kids used to go to the sock hops every week and dance to the ‘50s music that played on the Jukebox, which could be found at every burger joint in town. These were the things that all the cool kids did back in the day.
My mom Ellen was a free-spirited girl having a great time. I can see her right now, dancing to Elvis, Frankie Valli, and many more with those long legs that went on forever. High-spirited and raging with hormones as any 15-year-old, she also had the makings of that rebel child who had just flung open the gates and tasted freedom. She was having the time of her life and getting lots of attention from the boys. But she also picked up some bad habits that came along with being ‘at the hop’ and hanging out in new social circles. She took up smoking, drinking, and getting drunk – the price of being part of the “inner circle.” My mom had become a “Wild Child” and loved every minute of it!! Week after week, the fun never ended. She was getting plenty of attention that she thrived on, but the problem was she also had a thing for the good-looking “bad” boys .
This brings me to my father, Edward Jr. He was handsome with brown eyes, dark hair, a crew cut, and was very muscular- “buff” in today’s terms. As a teenager, he used to box at a local gym. Everyone said he was an outstanding boxer, and he had won every match. Don’t fact-check me on this, but that’s what I was told. He was also clean-cut and well-dressed. Remember that I said my mother liked bad boys? Well, he was the stereotypical bad-ass. Edward Jr. had been in trouble with the law and was on his way to prison for burglary.
What did my mom know or care about? Sock hops and bad dudes were ‘it,’ and Ellen was an icon of both in the rip-roarin’ late ‘50s and early ‘60s. –But really, knowing what I do now, I think she was just trying to barrel her way out of her own hellhole. Being 1 of 7 kids from a dysfunctional family—long before the word came into existence—she probably felt lost in the sheer number of kids.
Her mom and dad (and my grandparents) were Wesley Sr. and Louise Wagner. They had 7 children. Grandma Louise was of mixed races; she was half-Cherokee Indian and half-White, and as we all know, mixing races in the old days were looked down upon. My grandmother had pitch-black hair and deep brown eyes. My Grandfather Wesley was of European mix. He was tall with blue eyes and blonde hair, a striking pair the two of them, but they could not have been more different. What they did have in common was they both smoked like chimneys and drank black coffee like the handles were stuck to their hands. They always had coffee in one hand and a cigarette burning in the other. That’s the picture I have of my maternal grandparents.
I don’t ever remember my Grandfather Wesley laughing. He was always quiet and such a serious-looking man, but those piercing blue eyes looked straight through you. Nor do I ever remember Grandpa Wesley hugging me, holding me, or showing me any kind of affection for that matter. As a child, I felt like he just didn’t like me, and I could never understand why. I was a good kid and never caused trouble. I tried even harder to be good…made no difference.
My Grandma Louise, on the other hand, was very loving. She was the type of lady that would give anyone the shirt off her back. However, just as Grandma was as nice as could be, she was not the type to mess with either. She was as feisty a spirit as they came and took no crap from anyone. On occasion, my grandma was also known for cussing like a sailor and fist-fighting men at bars. She worked the night shift as an LPN Nurse. My Grandpa Wesley worked in a coal mine when their kids were younger. Then later, he got a job working on the railroad, which required him to travel a lot. With Grandpa Wesley being gone so much, it really put a burden on their marriage, and the age-old story was replicated. My mom told me that when Grandpa Wesley began cheating on my grandmother is when their marriage ended in divorce. Grandma was a tough ole broad to deal with a broke-up marriage back then and 7 children for whom she was entirely responsible.
The oldest of their children was Wesley Jr., and it was always so obvious that he was both Grandma and Grandpa’s favorite. Then came Judith, who was very loved by all. My Aunt Judith also got married very young, at the age of 14. Next in line was my mother, Ellen, followed by my Uncle Gary, who was definitely my favorite uncle. He was a very kind-hearted man and a real practical joker. Susan came next, but poor Susan had several medical issues and died at a young age. After Susan came the last female, Beth. Beth was a sweet and gentle soul. The last of the Wagner children was Ricky. Like most families, the baby is usually the most spoiled. Ricky was no exception to the rule- he was a hellion. For all we know…he probably still is.
So, you see, my mother got lost somewhere in the middle of the pack. Today they call it the middle-child syndrome. I used to wonder what the hell she was thinking, getting pregnant before she was 16. My theory is now— she was looking for love and attention—the attention she never got at home and craved so much.
It was after my grandparents’ divorce that my mom really started acting out. My poor grandmother’s world was turned upside down, and she was working a lot of hours to feed and care for 7 mouths. Every moment of her life was accounted for.
My mother Ellen was livid with her mother because she had divorced her father. Geez, I don’t know what she was expecting. Grandpa Wesley had already moved on…way on. He was already living with another woman in Indiana, and they had a daughter named Marilyn. Now, of course, Marilyn was the center of grandpa’s blue eyes and his entire world. Now, THAT was what my mom alw