Hatfields and the McCoys

I just finished watching the mini-series of “The Hatfields and the McCoys” a few days ago.  It took me a little while to get through it.  When I am watching something very intense, I need to take a couple days off before I can go back in and watch more.  I had thought about not finishing it at all because of the violence but my curiosity won out in the end.

I am always intrigued by “real life” stories.  Wikipedia says, “More than 100 years later, the story of the feud has become a modern symbol of the perils of family honor, justice, and vengeance.”

I had not known about it before this.

Hatfield and McCoy Feud

There were so many interesting aspects and I find myself going back to it again and again in my thoughts.

What was truly the first reason for the falling out that escalated to all the horrors that followed?

Who can really know.  What was shown in the series is not spoken of in Wikipedia’s account.

One event grew into another and another until the feud had a life of its own.

What is agreed on are that 5 children of Randal McCoy were killed by the Hatfields and his wife severely beaten.

What kind of honor is worth that?

There were those that fed off the feud……..  “Bad Frank”, head of the posse out to capture/kill the Hatfields and the  McCoy’s cousin who was a lawyer, Perry Cline.

All the warped thoughts and beliefs that kept it going year after year……at what cost?

“Devil Anse Hatfield” (played by Kevin Costner) finally said, “This is enough.  Randal cannot stop this so I must.”  He spoke of how he had no desire for more blood shed left inside him.  He just wanted peace.  He lived to be 83.  I wonder how he slept at night with all of the hurt and death he had witnessed and dealt himself.

And so it finally with over…..after a few more deaths.

This is an extreme story of anger and revenge but real life “feuds” still exist.  Maybe in your family there are sibling who do not speak to each other?  When I was growing up there were two brothers who lived nearby who did not speak to each for years and years.  My Dad had no idea what it was about.  Somehow they did come back together in the last several years of their lives.

Living in this way is about holding on to a hurt or anger from the “past”.  I know how hard it is to let go when I feel I have been “wronged”.  The reason for the “wronging” becomes dim but the desire to hold a grudge can last far to long.

Spend some time thinking about who or where you are still holding a grudge.  Is it worth it?  And who is paying the price.

If you choose to watch this, be forewarned of the violence……….but I would watch it again.

All for tonight.  Blessings to our journeys, melaniej