The first episode of season nine said everything that Michael Landon wanted to say. It’s hard to leave something you love, something that feels like home. But times are changing.
We take a deep breath and whisper our goodbyes through teary eyes. Goodbye to Pa playing the fiddle and Laura coming down the stairs from the loft. Goodbye to Carrie, James, and Cassandra… oh and Albert, almost forgot him. Goodbye to Baby Grace in Caroline’s arms. Saying goodbyes is a hard thing to do.
Michael’s focus shifted to some other projects and I have a feeling he was ready to hand over the reins, so to speak, to a fresh perspective. Possibly to demonstrate that there were other folks who lived like Charles and Caroline. And even we could live that way, if we chose love and respect over greed and pride.
Laura was grown with a baby of her own. The “little house” she grew up in could not stand empty. I can’t think of a better family to move in. The Carters were cut out of the same cloth—kind, faithful, and filled with grace for their children and their neighbors.
I’ve seen polls on Facebook. Who is better… The Ingalls or the Carters?
To that I say… how silly! The Carter family was built on the same foundation as the Ingallses. It’s like saying which gospel of the Bible is your favorite. They tell the same story and the story is the point, not who is telling it.
The most brilliant move, in my opinion, was bringing in a family of boys. We had watched Mary and Laura grow up, seen every girl emotion play out before our eyes. A family of boys brought a whole new dynamic. Not to mention that Jeb and Jason were incredible actors. From the very first episode it was clear that these kids could carry the weight of Mary and Laura. Without even flinching.
The family lessons continued to reveal themselves as season nine took on some really tough issues. Suicide, domestic violence, child abuse, and drug addiction. The content may have been a bit serious for some viewers, but very appropriate for the 80’s culture we were living in.
I think Michael wanted to build a bridge between reality and television. To show us that our lives weren’t that different from the prairie. We all struggle and doubt. We have times of celebration, and times of sorrow. And whether we like it or not, times are always changing.
Times are changing around here too. In less than a week, I will have a high school-er and a junior higher. Can I possibly be that old? Can I stop them from growing and changing? Sadly no.
My only anchor is God. He will never change.
This I recall to my mind,
Lamentations 3:21-23
Therefore I have hope.
The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
All I can do is take a deep breath, wipe away the pools from my eyes (if I’m lucky before they see), and hold them loosely until time moves my children on to new adventures. Trusting that God is watching over them. That He loves them—even more than I do.
Times are changing… but You, Lord never change.
What is changing in your life right now? And how can you tether yourself to the only One who never changes?
If you missed the Live Video from yesterday all about the Carter family, enjoy!
Much Love,
Wendi Lou
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