Straight out of high school I was married for the first time. Within the first year my husband was sent to prison. Newly on my own and scared, I hired a lawyer and he was released on early parole. Most people would think the warning bells should have went off by now. But to me, marriage was forever. Through the five years we were married he became very abusive. To me and our animals. Still I hung in there until finally "he" filed a divorce from me.When he left me , he made ME pack his belonging for him while he sat on the couch and watched. I obeyed because I was afraid not to. After that I spent ten years single. And quite happily I might add. I even moved to North Carolina by myself for a while. When my mom became sick with cancer I returned home. As a single woman I liked to have a good time. I eventually met my second husband Dave. He was a lot of fun and my mom was dying and fact was I had gotten pregnant so we got married. His own mother warned me that he was a beater and did not work. So many people tried to warn me but I thought I was special and could change him. One week to the day we married he punched me in the head so hard I saw stars. The punching never stopped. I was punched, spit on, slapped, kicked and pinched. He sold everything I owned and destroyed what was left. I promised God I would attend church regularly if he would only get me out of this marriage alive! Thank God, he heard my prayer and I divorced Dave after two years of hell.
So that left me a very scarred, broke, and lonely single mom of a 5 month old and a two year old. I have had many struggles after the divorce. A lot of times without the help of my church and family I wouldn't have made it. And there were times I was so lonely I didn't think I could stand another day.
