A Time to Love, Fight and Surrender: A Letter to My Grandchildren

By Elsie Butler-Burton

Have you ever wondered what your life would become? Most, if not all of us who are alive have wondered this. This book is about Janice, a girl who had a dream that took her on a difficult journey to womanhood. There were some relationships that were difficult. She fought to keep her sanity and her life. The help from what seemed to be unknown to her revealed itself over and over again in her life. This book shows the physical struggle, the humor, and the inspiration it took her to achieve the most important thing in her life; and that is loving and being loved. Isnt that what most of us want?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546256120

Elsie Butler-Burton

Elsie Butler-Burton is a mother, wife, Coast Guard Reserve Veteran, certified medical coder, certified phlebotomist, and the oldest of three children. She was born and raised in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. She got her persistence and drive from her mother and father who encouraged her to be strong, never give up on herself and most of all to love herself first. Regardless of her circumstances, she always had a back up plan in case things didnt go the way she had expected. A Time to Love, Fight and Surrender is her first book.

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© 2018 Elsie Butler-Burton. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  08/27/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-5613-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-5612-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018909801

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.

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.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Contents

Introduction

Southeast DC

Young Love

A Season of Change

The Last Straw

Letting It Go

Tommy

New House

The Accident

Life After My Loss

New Beginnings

Moving Forward

Highs and Lows

My Biggest Fight

Surrendering

Angels

By Your Side

Things I Want You to Know

Acknowledgment

To Patrice and Tom, who are my sister and brother, thank you for your continued love and support.

To my dear husband Craig, thank you for encouraging me to continue on with this project. Thank you for being the wind beneath my wings.

Front and back book cover by Anthony Garland, Jr, thank you for your beautiful art work. He happens to be the author’s son. See his work on Instagram: @agar.photo or email [e-mail].

Introduction

I am writing this book about my mother, for my mother. I want to first thank God for using this beautiful woman as a vessel for her three children being here. The stories contained in this book are from her for her children, and the grandchildren who didn’t fully get a chance to know her. Perhaps they will learn how their parents grew up and how they are shaped and molded into the beautiful people they are. Hopefully, this will help you get to know your grandmother as she was a loving, kind, compassionate, strong, bold, take no crap, courageous, intelligent, funny, and helpful woman. I am so proud to call her my momma. I hope this will help you, and anyone who reads this, in their journey. As she would often say If I can help somebody. Throughout her life, that is exactly what she did. Whether it was to console you, scold you, or simply listen to you without judgement, she was all so accommodating. But who would take care of her when she needed it. You are about to find out.

Southeast DC

I t was February 21, 1947, that I made my debut into this world. Born and raised in Southeast Washington, DC. I had very little hair, and it was a sandy brown color, captivating brown eyes, and a grin that was contagious. Yes, I thought highly of myself as I stare at my baby picture. I grew up in a small house where there were eight of us children, seven girls, and one boy. I was second to the youngest. My mother (your great-grandmother), of whom, I possessed most of my qualities from, was a very beautiful, caring, and a hard working woman. She did domestic (maid services) work at a doctor’s house. My father (your great-grandfather), worked at a local newspaper and back in those days you know he wasn’t a journalist. He played the piano in a jazz band,that comprised of his local buddies. I think that’s how I learned to play. My father was hardly ever home. Rumor was, papa was a rollin’ stone, leaving momma to take care of us with little money. I wouldn’t even call it a budget because it wasn’t enough money to make a budget. It was very hard times back then, but family and friends in the black community stuck together. We were all going through tough times. While my mother went to work it was up to the older children to watch us younger ones. I was among the youngest and boy was I something to handle. They couldn’t as a matter of fact. I think I was born way before my time because I dreamed big and tried almost everything, when it was very limited for black people. I was very outspoken, and you wasn’t gonna get by with talking to me out the side of your face. Later on you’ll see, If my daughter tell it right. Bless her heart, she tryin’.

Now, all I used to hear growing up was, she crazy as hell. Seem like I was always doing something I had no business. But in my mind, they didn’t understand me. I was a very determined young girl. Once I got my mind on doing what I wanted to do, there was no stopping me from doing it. As long as I wasn’t hurting somebody, why not. I suspect some of my grandchildren will inherit that from me.

I had a childhood friend names Charles (but you pronounced it Chawls). We grew up in the same neighborhood. We played hard and fought hard. One fight I remembered telling my daughter went something like this, "Girl, one day me a Chawls had a fight and that sucka hit me and tried to get away. The only thing on my mind was to get him back, I tried to bust him with everything I had, so I balled up my right hand, and took my arm and slung it behind my back and down to the ground as if I was scooping something up, I went down so low I scraped my knuckles on the pavement and came up and bust that sucka upside his head