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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Katie Giddup and Little Jane


It was the 1920’s and a little girl named Jane and her older brother were trying to make it home from school in one of those blinding, freezing blizzards that can come on so suddenly on the eastern plains of Colorado.

Their school bus was a two-wheeled cart pulled by a beautiful mule they lovingly called Katie-Giddup. As the frightened children huddled against the freezing wind and blinding snow they fought desperately to guide the mule towards home. But Katie Giddup was stubborn and wanted to go in another direction.

Time and again, they pulled on the lines trying to turn the mule towards home. But true to her natural stubbornness, Katie Giddup had to have her way. Finally, the frozen and disheartened children gave up the fight and let Katie Giddup have her head, knowing they would surely meet their demise on the windswept plains, miles from home.

Katie Giddup , free to follow her heart, trudged on, past fencepost after fencepost, through drift after drift, some as high as the underside of her swaying belly. Katie Giddup did not stop, not until she had safely delivered her precious children to the front door of their farmhouse and into the arms of their waiting parents.

Little Jane never forgot her beloved Katie Giddup. She shared the story of her loyal mule with her Horace, with her nine children and her twenty-eight grandchildren. Though long since passed, Katie Giddup lived on in the memory of little Jane.

Now 80 years later, in honor of that loyal mule, Duke will change his name to Katie Giddup on Saturday, and again, little Jane will be lovingly and gently carried home and into the arms of her Heavenly Father.

2 comments:

LeftTenant said...

Beautiful Lorraine! Many thanks to you and Duke.

LeftTenant said...

Many thanks, Lorraine. You and Duke accomplish some great things in the world.