22 May 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2744: I don’t belong

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“From feeling like I don't belong to being adopted into a real family – I understand what you've been teaching me about God in Christ and I am just so thankful – I don't know whether to run around screaming or just cry!”

“Well, Glendella, you're 10. It's OK to do both.”

Mrs. Mosette Smith was on Zoom with her Sunday School student Glendella Ludlow, who had just been adopted into the family of the father to had stepped up for Mosette herself: Capt. Ludlow, who had loved her before he even knew she was the surprise surviving daughter of his first wife, Alexandra, before their marriage.

“R.E. Ludlow is as hard-nosed as they come,” she said to a friend without explaining the relationship, “but put a child in front of him and you find that at heart, he is much like his loving Heavenly Father, and the new Mrs. Ludlow brings that out of him even more.”

Mosette had been raised by Millie Lee, Capt. Ludlow's cousin, who found her abandoned in the woods on the Blue Ridge. When Mosette had gotten married, Millie had been the mother of the bride, and Capt. Ludlow stepped up, paid for the wedding, and walked her down the isle.

Capt. Ludlow's children with Alexandra had hated that, but, that hard nose: “Get married and stop having babies out of wedlock, and I'll pay for your weddings and look after my grandchildren at the same time.”

Capt. Ludlow had buried those children but stepped up and adopted his grandchildren, and then along came Glendella, running away from other Ludlows to the safety of the cousins who again stepped up, and became her adoptive (grand)parents … and so as it was that Glendella understood higher things because the adults modeled it.

Mrs. Smith made a note to hike up to the Blue Ridge to say thank you to Mama Millie, but called Capt. Ludlow.

“You did good, Papa Robert,” she said. “Mission accomplished, again!”

“Why do you women need me to be in tears – don't you think we've had enough rain today?”

“Well, the gold and silver showers part was nice on the camera view – just put them in there where Glendella's went when she saw the Son shine all over her life and understood what being in God's family is really about,” Mrs. Smith said.

“Well,” Capt. Ludlow said as he dabbed at his eyes, “at least three of us – you, Glendella, and I – have a reason for tears of joy today, and we pray for the rest.”

“Like Mama Millie says, expeditiously,” Mrs. Smith said.

“Expeditiously, Mosie,” Capt. Ludlow said, imitating his cousin Millie, pitch-perfect but two octaves down in his voice, and then added, as Mrs. Smith cracked up, “if I gotta cry, you gotta laugh – expeditiously, Mosie!”

“You know I'm telling Mama Millie you're at it again with that voice!” Mrs. Smith said.

“I'm counting on it – give my cousin my love when you next go up.”