Sunday Lunch

When I was a kid, every Sunday was special. Our family had a weekly ritual. Each Sunday after church, we would always go somewhere special for lunch. Some of those meals were uniquely memorable and unforgettable. These were the moments spent around the dinner table at Papa Wesley's and Nanny Tippy's during Sunday Lunch.

Wesley and Jeanette Hall lived in one of the older homes on Beaverdam Road (Route 715). Theirs was one of the last on that main road that came through the village of Beaverdam, VA. Papa Wesley was known as the "unofficial" mayor of Beaverdam, while Jeanette (whom everyone called Tippy) was heralded as one of the best cooks around. They were my great grandparents, and I cherished the time I was able to spend with them.

In my early childhood years, I can remember those times that we would spend with them on Sundays. We'd often go to church with Nanny Tippy at Zion Christian Church in Beaverdam. Before service, she had prepared much of the food for lunch; Papa Wesley stayed home to keep an eye on things during church. After church let out, our family would all gather together at Papa and Nanny's for a scrumptious meal. 

Nanny Tippy was one of these ladies who never seemed to use recipes for her culinary creations. She just knew! During most of those Sunday luncheons, we'd often be treated to Southern comfort food... I'm talking about the good stuff - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, string beans, and corn on the cob. Oh! Did I mention the rolls? Those homemade yeast rolls? They were her own recipe, and not many can duplicate it. Couple those rolls with homemade sweet butter, and you have yourself a heavenly combination. She'd also bake a pie or two for dessert. If we left hungry, it was our own fault.

For just a few moments during those special times, it seemed as though the cares of the world ceased... if only for a minute or two. We were together with our loved ones, and nothing could sour that time. As my Dad has often said, "We didn't have much, but we had love." At that time, I guess we didn't realize how good we had it. 

Unfortunately, I don't have many other memories of my Nanny Tippy. I was only 6 when she passed away in 1994; yet, I remember her as a woman who cared greatly for her family. She gave what she had to others without asking for anything in return. Most of all, she truly loved her husband, my great grandfather Wesley. Like so many others, I wish that I had had more time to spend with her. 

Papa Wesley and I remained close for the next decade. He stayed by himself at that old house in Beaverdam... cutting the grass every week until he couldn't do so any longer. Maybe I'll tell you about the time that he and I went riding together around Hanover County. He, too, would pass away just over ten years later. Today, that house is now a daycare center run by a local church. Each day, new memories are being made in that old house.

They say that when a loved one passes away they are never truly gone... their spirit lives on within us. Friends, if we remember the times spent together with those special people... those sacred moments locked within our memory... they are never truly gone. Sure, some of those memories may fade over time, but we're always left with the legacy that they have left upon our lives.