I am back in Greenville, SC, where I grew up and where most of my family lives – my grandparents, my father, my brother and sister-in-law, my nieces, my step brother and sister….and lots of friends who knew me back when. WAY back when. Long before I was a minister, surely. Back when I had long blonde hair and usually went by the name Trixie Belden, or sometimes (quite randomly) “Daisy.”
It’s been deeply soul-satisfying to sit and chat with my grandparents and dad, and Ember & Matt when they were down. My grandparents built their house the year I was born. That was a long time ago. It’s still the absolute best place I know – the place where I feel the most at home, the place where the ground reaches up and gives me a hug, and the air is always sweet and earth-scented and greening. While here, I got to celebrate my grandmother’s 89th birthday with her. Ember and I brought a green tea and pomegranate cheesecake made by one of Ember’s baking compatriots. It was sweet and fleeting taste, like these moments, like the years.
There’s been the blessing, as well, of seeing my brother – who had a long, hard walk in the wilderness for many years, my friends – seeing him home and in love and well-settled. He and his wife have a nice house, pets, and he has a chance to be part of raising a really neat kid. He gets to cook and play drums and laugh and he’s just almost another person. He cooked for me this week, and he’s his mother’s kid through and through – boy, does he want to please you with food and how deeply he cares about getting it right and loving you with just the perfect meal. He did a glorious job, he and his wife. I very nearly licked the plate, and then we laughed and laughed as we played games until it was time for bed.
Meanwhile, one of my oldest friends awaited on the other side of downtown. In the years I’ve been away, Greenville has stretched and decided to become one of the most impressive cities in the country, and certainly in the South. Now with a nearly European air, it bursts at the seams with culture and flair and is an absolute food heaven. This is the same city that nurtured me into the deeply liberal and artistic woman I am, but lord – has it ever outdone itself. Glorious. Here are a few of the city views…
My good friend (we were besties when we were 7-9, and she was Nancy Drew to my Trixie Belden) and I had a great time, hanging out with her cool and artistic daughter, her 5 cats, her new guy, and some great Mediterranean food. Her fella reminded me of how fantastically fun it is to West Coast and East Coast swing, and then she and I discussed books and lamented how little real history of the civil rights struggle we’d been taught in school. She, like everyone else on m journey, was glad I was going to Selma. She’s waiting to learn more, even now, about the struggle.
Me, I’m moving on. Selma is closer every day. But god, do I miss home.