Photo by the author, Deeann D. Mathews, September 23, 2025
“So, no, Glendella, we don't do all that around here. Why would you wish upon a star when you can just ask the Lord for what you want?”
Eight-year-old Gracie Trent was talking wonders that ten-year-old Glendella Ludlow had never even heard of before being adopted as the eighth (grand)child of Capt. R.E. and Mrs. Thalia Ludlow, and thus getting the younger Trents and Stepforths as friends, too.
“It never made any sense to me either,” Glendella said, “because a star is a ball of gas. I mean, there are a lot of people that are full of hot gas too, but the only thing you wish is to get upwind of all that.”
“I don't think that's the same kind, because I've never seen any twinkling behind anybody,” Gracie said. “But I will tell you this: there's a reason we do not feed my dog Goody and my cat Gracie the local kibble, because once they eat that and you happen to be right behind them, you may see stars from getting knocked out.”
“It's all very confusing, all this getting wishes granted and stuff,” Glendella said.
“No it ain't,” Gracie said. “It's confusing trying to get wishes granted and not having anything you have to do for the wish granter.”
“Whoa, wait a minute,” Glendella said. “I think we need Eleanor and Andrew to get their brains in on this.”
“And I'll just go get Velma because Grandma Velma broke it down for her and me,” Gracie said.
So, eleven-year-old Eleanor and ten-year-old Andrew Ludlow were invited into the conversation, and eleven-year-old Velma Trent came in from the Trent side and got brought up to date.
“So, basically, the way this works is that you have to have relationship with those you need things from, and all relationships have roles and responsibilities,” Velma said. “It's like I don't go to the Ludlow house for things I need; I go to my parents and grandparents, and there are things I am responsible to do that they require of me as well.”
“And we don't come over here for things we need – OK, that all makes sense,” Eleanor said.
“But how do you have relationship with a star anyway – I mean, the sun, but, still, it's very far away and no matter what, it's just going to keep doing what it does,” Glendella said.
“I think people get into this because everybody knows there's things and people more powerful than us, and we need stuff,” Andrew said. “But at the same time, we want to do as little as possible to get stuff. Stars aren't asking for things; they just burn and shine.”
“OK, so then, explain why folks are just following the stars and planets around in the horoscope,” Glendella said.
“I can't,” Andrew said. “It doesn't make sense to me, but I think it just doesn't make sense.”
“A long time ago – well, a lot of the planets and stars are named for the gods people used to worship, so, yeah,” Eleanor said. “You can ask all of them for stuff and they don't require that you tell the truth, obey your parents, and love your neighbors. God does.”
“Oh,” Glendella said. “I get it. That's scary, but I get it. This is why so many of Bad Grandma's friends actually go to church, but they talk all the time about their horoscope – they really want to get their wishes granted without putting up with the Lord Jesus and what He wants.”
“Yep,” Eleanor, Andrew, Velma, and Gracie said.
“But see, all of us now have adults who love us, and y'all Ludlows might as well take my big siblings Vanna and Melvin and my big cousin Tom as your bonus relatives,” Gracie said. “If I went right now to Vanna and said, 'Could you grant me a wish and make some popcorn for me and my friends?' she might say she doesn't have time right now or remind us that we don't either because our adults are making dinner, but she'll do it at the right time for her and us. We gotta be patient because she's in charge of the popcorn, but she loves me and Velma and y'all Ludlows too and we love her too and we respect her and we do right by her, and so there is a relationship and we know the popcorn is coming, sooner or later.”
“Oh,” Glendella said. “That's like us and God, although He really can take a while to get cooking.”
“Yeah, but everybody knows slow-cooked things are the absolute best,” Velma said.
“Yes, that is the truth,” Glendella said. “Aunt Susanna is the only one who used to do that for me, but on Sundays she was always loading stuff into the crock pot before we went to church, and by the time we got back, it was always so good. And, around here, people really put time into the food and you can taste it.”
“So, that's like God, Who really takes His time,” Velma said. “When He gets done, you sho' can feel the love.”
“Ain't it the truth,” Gracie said.
“Yeah,” Glendella said. “It took me ten years to get here – if I had left home any earlier, none of you would have been here. I've been wanting to leave home since I was five, but it had to be when it was. I get it. I get it.”
“No wishing on stars or reading the horoscope necessary,” Eleanor said.
“Well, I mean, if you are going to be walking down the highway on your escape, you kinda want the stars to be out,” Glendella said, “because escaping in the rain on foot is not it, y'all.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Velma said. “The stars have their place in the plan, for sure.”
“Just one more thing,” Glendella said. “Does the moon actually have seven houses, like that song says about the age of Aquarius?”
“We gotta wait for George and Milton and Grayson to finish the Lego spaceport before we can get up there and find out,” Gracie said, “but I mean, there's plenty of real estate room since you gotta have a spaceport, so, maybe.”
“Uh,” Andrew said, “the moon has to be in the seventh house, so what we really need to know is, are there houses in space with garages that big, and is this why you can't see the moon all the time because it is going in and out of these garages?”
The children paused to consider this.
“We're going to need to do a lot more research,” Velma said.
“Ain't it the truth,” Gracie said.