Memoirs Of A Broken Family
by Irv Childress
Authorhouse

Every year, many couples divorce and numerous children are left among the shards of marriage. Irv Childress was one of these children. He shares the memories of his childhood in the book, Memoirs Of A Broken Family.

Childress begins his story in 1969 when his parents’ relationship was stable and happy. By 9, his father was dating another woman while his mother raised five children by herself. Childress’ safe home quickly dissipated because his mother couldn’t make enough money to pay the rent. Down on their luck, he and his family were split up and placed in foster care. His foster home proved to be no sanctuary and he was pursued sexually by his foster sister.

For anyone who was a child of divorce or anyone considering marriage, Memoirs Of A Broken Family is an emotional, first-person account of the consequences that occur when marriages shatter.

EXCERPT
My friends constantly reminded me of my virginity. It drove me nuts. They constantly talked about the so-called girls they were with. I could only ask questions or listen to their stories. I had no stories of my own to tell. I felt left out.   

All the talk about sex made me super curious and horny. I didn’t care if I was ready or not. I wanted to become sexually active. I needed to be cool. I needed to have stories to tell. My virginity was like a hairy mole on my forehead. I wanted so desperately to get rid of it.

Although I badly desired to become sexually active, the act would definitely take a while. I wasn’t girl savvy. I lacked self-esteem and boldness. I lacked the ability to approach a girl properly. You remember what happened with my last girlfriend.

There were times when I wondered what effect would my father have had on some of the decisions that I’ve made. I wondered how my life would’ve been if he shared his opinion on the everyday situations I faced. I wondered how different my life would’ve been if I had a greater influence from Dad. I don’t know if my life would have been better or worse, but I wondered. I wondered if our relationship today would be stronger than when I was a young boy. I wondered if we could’ve worked out the many thousands of disagreements that would’ve come our way in our lifetime. I wondered if after all that we had gone through together, would he be proud to call me “son?” I know now that I could’ve and would’ve appreciated my Dad’s insight on some of the many daily challenges I faced.

Author Profile

Irv Childress was born, raised and currently resides of New Jersey.  He is currently employed as a location site manager supplying a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company’s facility with maintenance & repair supplies.  He is married to JoAnn and they have three children: Cherise, Irvin III and Mikayla.  He is a devout Christian and member of Agape Family Worship Center Rahway, NJ.