Image by Jenő Szabó from Pixabay
Capt. R.E. Ludlow always kept in mind something that his elder cousin Horace F. Lee had told him.
“When I raised Henry after he was orphaned, there was one thing I wished to impart to him and one thing I wished him to have no knowledge of. I wished to impart to him the necessity and blessing of the work of Christ, and of joining God's family through belief in Christ, and to have him completely untrained in willful malice and hatred. Every soul born has enough capacity for sin so that malice and hatred will find its own way out – but that it have no artificial ground to stand on was my goal.”
It had taken Capt. Ludlow another year to recognize how thoroughly he had been raised to hate, based on race and class – he had been born in Lofton County, VA when the county was making its last stand against civil rights and also the change in the world's economy heading toward the technological age that would bring monies to people who had never been able to move up.
Capt. Ludlow had gone back to see the Lee-of-the-mountain patriarch in the company of Col. Henry F. Lee, the grandson the elder Lee had raised.
“I knew that you would recognize in due time that for you to raise your grandchildren in a way completely untrained in willful malice and hatred, you would have to put all forms down yourself – and you have, Robert. From henceforth, you will see your reward before you.”
Old Cousin Horace was right … when Capt. Ludlow and grandson George got back from their lunch run for the family, granddaughter Edwina was on the porch relaxing. She took one look at George and started to move away – they had not been getting along – but then stopped. The things she had talked about with her grandmother had come to mind, and the two grandparents had texted each other about their conversations with the grandchildren.
“Now is your chance to lead in making things right,” the captain said to his grandson. “Like you said, there is no reason to be pulling Edwina's hair because she is missing the same people you are, and none of it is either of your faults – and maybe, if you start, she will realize the same thing and forgive you.”
George got out of the car and went up to Edwina.
“I'm really sorry about pulling your hair all the time,” he said. “It was wrong because your hair is your hair, and anyway, I'm not really mad at you. I miss Mom and Dad and it's not your fault.”
“I forgive you because Jesus said we have to forgive when people are sorry for what they have done, and I miss Mom and Dad and that's not your fault either, and, I kinda like your face the way it is and I don't really want to hurt you either.”
A moment later, the two were hugging, and ten minutes later, they were just talking about their memories and then about Edwina having made her own personal summer resort and about all the people that George had met … and Capt. Ludlow quietly put a basket of strawberries behind George so he could offer them to Edwina … and there they were until lunch time, having forgotten all their anger with each other.
Andrew and Eleanor, the oldest pair of Ludlow grandchildren at 10 and 11 years old, came out and just sat down in silent encouragement of Edwina and George, at 8 and 9 years old, becoming good friends just like them. The basket of strawberries was enough for all four to enjoy.
Capt. and Mrs. Ludlow, who were best friends in addition to being husband and wife, held each other for a moment and shed tears, realizing the love their grandchildren saw in them was being modeled out by their grandchildren.
“For them to be completely untrained in willful malice and hatred, it begins with our walk with God – thank God He sent you to be my second wife, so that I could begin to grow then out of the pit into which I was sinking after all that happened to my first family!” Capt. Ludlow said.
“Oh, I thank God every day,” Mrs. Ludlow said, “and wouldn't trade you Ludlows for the world!”
Lil' Robert, all of five years old, pulled both their shirts.
“Excuse me, sir and ma'am,” he said, “but some of us Ludlows are getting really hungry down here.”
“How about we trade your hunger for some strawberries, and then some lunch?” Mrs. Ludlow said.
“That will work!” Lil' Robert said, and then smiled as his grandfather put a whole basket of strawberries in his cupped hands.
“Go share those with Amanda and Grayson,” Capt. Ludlow said, “and then we will have lunch situated in about half an hour.”
"Yaaaaaaaaay!"
This is very interesting 🤔?
Ermm they had to swap the hunger for strawberries, great choice!
Impacting meaningful lessons to your children will help someday! You would always look back and be appreciative of the decision you took...
Well written 🥰
My own grandmother is the model for the Ludlows at work with their little ones ... and thank you for the read!
It's my pleasure 🤝
El ejemplo bien expresado marca nuestro entorno y si ademas tenemos a Dios el respaldo es mayor.
De hecho, ¡gracias por leer y por el sincero comentario!
Looks sweet!!!
Thank you for reading!
Strawberries are a great treat, no longer available here. 👍🍀♥
I am sorry to hear that ... but thanks for the read and reblog anyhow...