My fondest memories of Thanksgiving started taking place in the rural part of Western Copiah County over 20 years ago.
Back then nearly all of my extended family members lived along one stretch of Highway 28 where our family's land was located.
For me, Thanksgiving Day always began by waking up to the smell of my Mom's casseroles baking in the oven. I would always sneak some of my Dad's No-Bake chocolate oatmeal cookies for breakfast while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on our small TV in the living room.
Eventually we would load up into the car and make our way to Nana and Granddaddy's house, where the entire family would gather to eat lunch.
The coolest part about my grandparents house is that my Granddaddy, Harold Lee, a.k.a "Jack" Davis, built the house with his own two hands, along with most of the furniture inside of it. One of the most important pieces is the 8 foot dining table he built, and its twin, which was hung up and stored in another part of the house, except for special occasions.
It was always a sight to behold watching the adults bring out that other 8 foot table and set it up, adding in several mismatched chairs from all over the house. Sometimes there would even be another card table tacked on at the end with an organ bench just for the kids to sit on. When you have nearly 30 people show up for Thanksgiving, sometimes you find ways to make it all work out.
After the turkey was ready and carved, the whole family always stood and joined hands in a giant circle across the house while my granddaddy blessed the food. Then, as a family tradition, the eldest members of the family fixed their plates first, and the young people went last.
Dinner was always full of laughs and long family stories, and getting full on turkey and sweet tea. Most of the men would gather in the living room area to watch the Egg Bowl, while the women cleaned up. Most of us kids were always sent outside to play to keep from being underfoot while the adults relaxed.
Twenty years later, a lot of things have changed. Many of our family members have passed on, including my Granddaddy, but the traditions still remain. Thanksgiving in Copiah County will continue to be filled with delicious food, family bonding, and faithful blessings for years to come.
