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“OK, I'm going to do it, because as a member of the Ludlow man-training unit, and if I'm going to be a knight and all, too, I gotta go first.”
“You got this, George, you got this!”
Nine-year-old George Ludlow had three fears: the fear of God, the fear of Capt. R.E. Ludlow his grandfather, and the fear of eight-year-old Edwina Ludlow, his first cousin and adopted sister. But in the same way he understood the first two loved him and really didn't have it out to hurt him, he was beginning to see a different side of Edwina, and they had been getting along well.
“A lot of what is going on is, you both are mad at other people for not doing right,” George's big cousin Col. H.F. Lee explained. “But when you understand that you can join forces to protect other kids like you, you don't have to take that out on each other.”
“Is this why you and Papa are both in therapy?” George had asked.
“And anger management, periodically, along with really talking with the Lord all the time about our lives,” the colonel had said. “What you learn first is, 'in your anger, sin not,' and that means not using it in the wrong way against the wrong people. Then you learn to take the energy behind that anger and use it to love who you love even more. Then you learn you don't even need to be angry any more.”
George had considered this, and then said, “I guess you saw some stuff in the military and even before that, just like Papa.”
“Yep,” the colonel had answered, “just like you've already seen some stuff and Edwina has already seen some stuff. We're all human, and we all hurt and we all get angry. The choice is, as we grow up, or mature in my case, is what do we do next.”
George had gone and thought about this, and then talked to his ten-year-old brother Andrew about it.
“Yeah, we're all hurt,” Andrew had said, “but I'm just kinda calm like Grandma, and I think about God and I think about Papa and Grandma needing help and y'all needing your big brother, and that takes up so much time it's time to go to bed before I remember what I am mad about.”
“You think I can get that way, bro?”
“No, because I'm Andrew and you're George … but you'll find your own way. You and Eddie are both working on your stuff and finding your way.”
Then George had gone and talked with his little brother, six-year-old Grayson, who he knew was younger and didn't talk much, but, like Cousin Harry, watched everyone and knew things. Grayson also had made peace with Edwina.
“The thing about Eddie is, you gotta know you're strong, because Eddie doesn't do weakness,” he said. “She'll eat you if you're weak, but, you're my other big brother and we're Ludlows, so, you're strong.”
“Well, I'm glad somebody thinks so – thanks, Grayson!”
Nine-year-old Milton Trent next door of course completely believed in his friend.
“You got this, George, you got this!”
So George plucked up his courage and went to the garden where Edwina was working.
“Hi, Eddie … uh, we've been getting along real well and I like it and maybe we can do it on purpose because we are not really mad at each other but I'm going to have the law stuff and I need somebody to go get the bad guys, and I think you would be perfect for that and I love you and I hope we can get along.”
“I love it!” she cried, and wrapped her arms around him. “Yes! I love you too!”
“And they all lived happily ever after,” Mrs. Maggie Lee said, “until one or the other forgets, but, they've been doing really well recently.”
“Both of them are healing,” Col. Lee said, “and I think, like their big Lee cousin, they are getting used to peace and are getting used to the idea that they are safe and do not need to re-create chaos and fighting.”
“Not another crisis,” Mrs. Lee said. “I can't fully appreciate how difficult it is for those who had to fight their way to get to that state which is natural for me … but I can appreciate the work you are doing to get there, and how you are helping them get there, too.”
“I am a dutiful warrior,” he said. “It is therefore even more fitting that I be just as dutiful in working toward living in peace.”
“You know,” Mrs. Lee said, “you're doing a heck of a job around here if you ask me.”
“I am blessing others as I am being blessed myself … having the world's most wonderful wife is a lot of help.”
“You know,” seven-year-old Amanda Ludlow said as her two big cousins affectionately embraced, “they love each other like Papa and Grandma and Uncle Vincent and Auntie Melissa and Big Uncle Tom and Big Aunt Velma do. It's so nice to be where people love each other and aren't fighting!”
“Ain't it the truth,” eight-year-old Gracie aid. “It's even rubbing off on George and Edwina, so you know God is good!”
“He sure is,” Amanda said, “and I feel really safe now!”