Love’s the Only House

By Debra Godsee

Love’s the Only House is an autobiography of a mother’s life from her childhood to the estrangement of her children throughout their childhood. It is a long letter to her previously estranged sons explaining the events that took place leading up to the estrangement and summarizing all she’d been through to get them back in her life. It may also be enlightening to those who suspect child abuse. This book is explicit, as she describes the reasons she suspected abuse. This book is not intended for young readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796016567

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Copyright © 2019 by Debra Godsee.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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.

Rev. date: 10/03/2022

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CONTENTS

Life Line

My Father’s Eyes

Perfection In The Peach State

Trouble On The Sea

A Family Of My Own

Broken Vessel

Rainy Day Fridays

Violations Of My Spirit

Cold July

Train Up A Child

When Nightmare Turns To Reality And Reality A Dream

Forever Friend

Life Without You

About The Author

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Life Line

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LIFE LINE

Hello there. I’m Dee short for Debra…

W here are you from?, These words ringing my head like a recorder so many times said! Should I be rude and, matter fact stating, From my momma!? Who are your mother, father, and brother?…Should I say the North as I was born there? Should I say the South where I was raised for the most of eight years of my childhood. Or maybe I should say, middle East where I’ve resided most of my adulthood. I wish to say the coast as I’ve been there Many, not only every Day Dream but my feet have also touched the coasts often. I could proudly say Tennessee as it was my favorite of my adult years, with my Pretio and Jeremy. Truth is…I don’t know! There is very little I do know about myself and perhaps this is why I begin to write.

In the busy city of Nashua, a baby girl entered the lives of Americans everywhere, on the liberating summer’s morn of July 1974. Little did they know how this girl would rule and ruin their hopes and dreams for the future of all involved.

My first memory . . . You asked. I will never forget it, as it is truly one of the many perfect days in the innocence of my childhood, with horses becoming one of my first loves! Strolling the path with Momma, excitement filled my heart; as I anticipated the wind in my face, while riding back and forth on my favorite horse swing, at the tender age of one and a half.

Shortly before or after my second birthday, Daddy moved our family of three to Missouri, with high hopes of attaining his degree in Theology. It was around this time that I recall the next best love of my life–music. For Christmas, I was given a record player in a blue box with a little, white handle enabling me to carry it. Wherever I wished. Along with it came a record with lots of cool Christian songs, sung by a children’s choir. I remember thinking, it looked and sounded like, they really knew how to get down, as their pictures on the cover attracted my eyes. I had every word of the record memorized by age five.

After Daddy’s last year of college, we moved, again, to a small town in Minnesota. Where we lived near a close ex-colleague of my Daddy’s. We lived in the most awesome, three-story home. The basement was my playground. Unlike most basements, the furnace kept this one warm with a steady hum in the background. My first, best friend would visit my home, regularly, to play and spend the night. Once, our families took a long trip together, in two separate cars. He had climbed in the back of the car on the shelf in the window and threw me the I love you sign. I’ll never forget how important I felt, dazing off into the distance.

I remember oatmeal with sugar, nighttime prayers with Daddy, my dolly that peeped, my neighbor’s mom angered, because her little girl had gum in her hair, and oddly enough their three-legged dog! Have you ever seen a three-legged dog? I have; he was a three-legged, medium-sized dog that never did seem to have any problem getting around. To me, the dog’s excitedly, happy personality made him seem ever so normal. Even at the age of three, a strange, awesome sight to see. I guess that is why I never forgot it.

I remember Dad and Mom’s ability to create such a safe and peaceful home, that I felt an attachment with my mother, and the loneliness I felt upon her leaving me to go to school.

I was so distraught that she gave up school to stay with me. In kindergarten, I can re-envision the puppet shows, the dress-ups, and the walks around the block while singing Old McDonald!

In 1978, my first, little brother was born. I thought he was my very own, little doll. I tried to take care of him, taking him out of his baby swing. When Momma had walked around the corner frightening me, ’cause I realized I was in over my head.

Still, my most significant memory would have to be the day of my salvation. I came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for me, while also carrying a deep need to tell anyone who would listen. Momma says an older girl, from our church, spent the night with me, at this time. I suppose it was between my record, Daddy’s bedtime prayers, and her testimony, that my heart was ready to receive. All this before my fifth birthday!

Oh, I know. You only asked one question, my first memory, right? So now your asking, Why is she going on, and on, and on about silly memories?! Well, I say to you . . . Too many times, we undermine the importance of the minds of our babies, from the