9 January 2026, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2977: stunning

Every adult but one in earshot, on a morning in the Ludlow, Lee, and Trent houses, immediately became alert when the anthem of attention sounded …

“Duh-duh-DOO-duh-duh-doobeedoobeedoobeedoobeeDOO!”

That was eight-year-old Gracie Trent, up, about, and planning her day … and enough people had drunk downspout coffee and found kitty litter from the clean side of the box in their bed to know it was time to pay attention.

However, this was the day that every adult but one found out that the tune of “the anthem of attention,” rising upward into the day, was the inverse of an older tune quietly and beautifully descending through the morning air...

“My Lord, what a morning!”

This was Gladys Jubilee Trent, Gracie's Jubilee-of-the-mountain grandmother, and she knew exactly what was going on … the anthem of attention was a call, and the Negro Spiritual tune was a response – and in reality, Gracie had heard her grandmother cheerfully singing in the morning whenever on a visit to Grandma Jubilee's mountain home … so, the anthem of attention was really an echo of that.

“Gracie is up!” five-year-old Lil' Robert Ludlow announced from his morning milk with coffee with his black-coffee-drinking grandfather, Capt. R.E. Ludlow. “So is Grandma Jubilee!”

“Yep,” Capt. Ludlow said, and watched with affectionate interest as he watched Mrs. Jubilee Trent and Gracie come out onto their porch with their tea.

“Grandma Jubilee's hair does the same thing in the sunlight that yours does!” Lil' Robert said.

“Just about the same color hair, so the sunlight is stunning in it indeed,” Capt. Ludlow said.

“Yeah!” Lil' Robert said. “I mean, I like having blond hair now, but, I think getting old and having silver-white hair is going to be great too!”

“Oh, it is,” Capt. Ludlow said. “I thank God every day that I have lived to have this hair – and that I still have my hair.”

“Yeah, more men do go bald,” Lil' Robert said. “I see that a lot!”

“It appears our branch of the family does not as often,” Capt. Ludlow said, “so, you have a good chance, Robert, of sitting with your grandson, and your head lighting up.”

“I kinda think the shine is good too,” Lil' Robert said. “Cousin Tarquin has a nice shine on his bald head!”

“That's a well-kept bald head, indeed,” Capt. Ludlow said.

“I'm good on either one!” Lil' Robert said. “Now, I gotta get some stuff done to get the grandson part, but, next week though."

“Next half-century, though,” Capt. Ludlow gently corrected. “It takes a little while to be a good grandfather, and you can go by an easier path than me.”

“How much is a half-century?” Lil' Robert said.

“50 years,” Capt. Ludlow said.

Lil' Robert considered this, and then snuggled into his grandfather.

“Well, I guess I better get started, just being a good grandson so I can show my grandson how.”

“That's a great idea,” Capt. Ludlow said.

Across the yards, Mrs. Jubilee Trent and Gracie observed the Ludlow pair.

“They love each other like we love each other,” Gracie said.

“Yep,” Mrs. Jubilee Trent said. “It's good to start the day with generational understanding. It keeps us calm and able to focus.”

“Why don't our parents get it?” Gracie said.

“They gotta get up and do the work to make sure you are fed and clothed, and so they get up thinking about that,” she said.

“Oh,” Gracie said. “Well, I do like to eat, and I gotta be cute, so, yeah, I get it, Grandma Jubilee. That makes all kinds of sense.”

“Doesn't it?” Mrs. Jubilee Trent said. “Keep it in mind. Your parents do love you, and they are not ignoring you most of the time outside of school and chores – they just have work to do.”

“I get it now, Grandma. I get it.”

Sgt. Vincent and Mrs. Melissa Trent got an extra hug from all their children that day, and, while not knowing exactly how …

“It's a real change, having your mom here,” Mrs. Trent said.

“Yep, she is the grandchild whisperer,” Sgt. Trent said. “I can't say I relaxed on hearing Mom singing back to Gracie, but at least my heart rate went down!”

“Yeah -- no downspout coffee this morning,” Mrs. Trent said.