Heading back South: To Aunt Eddie Mae and Huntsville
The Summer of 2022 for Chico’s Cheesecakes has been nothing less than exciting! From our new home on Saturday mornings at Findlay Market to the Taste of Cincinnati (insert article), we’ve been in full gear, taking advantage of the opportunities to expand our brand. Yet, amid it all, we made a conscious decision to take the time to honor our roots, restore our energy and enjoy our family. So, with our bags packed and our cars gassed up, we made the 7-hour road trip down to the state where Papa called home before moving up north: Alabama.
Growing up, I remember packing up Papa’s luxury van and heading south to Birmingham, Alabama for our annual family reunion on the Fourth of July. Memories of Bobby “Blue” Bland wailing in the background, running around playing with my cousins, bursts of laughter, and fireworks are moments that forever stay with me. During the reunion, I remember seeing everyone fill their plates with fried fish, baked spaghetti, BBQ ribs, and most importantly, a few slices of Papa’s famous strawberry cheesecake. Our family down back South always welcomed us with warm hugs plus a warm plate of food and this summer was no different. Granted, with the majority of our family’s elders having transitioned and other family members keeping their health and the pandemic in mind, this reunion was quite slim but there’s one person we were determined to set eyes upon…Papa’s baby sister, Aunt Eddie Mae.
She was his right hand, the one he would call every morning, his lifeline when times got a bit uncertain. Our Aunt Eddie Mae is now our rock, the foundation we turn to when we need grounding. She was the main reason why making it to Alabama was so important this year. Having the time to sit in her presence, to love on her, and to be loved by her was worth every minute. For five days, we settled in Huntsville, a city where she and her husband raised their family and the city, she still calls home. For five days, we gathered together listening to Aunt Eddie Mae share stories about her and Papa growing up in Alabama during early Jim Crow, about family we have yet to meet, and family we haven’t seen in a month of Sundays. She encouraged us. She prayed for us. She constantly told us how proud Papa was of all his grandkids. She reminded us of the motivation behind our company which is family and legacy.
Endless to say, the rest of our family trip was one to remember. We visited the Corvette Museum in Kentucky, searched for red clay dirt on the side of the road in Tennessee, and visited our cousin’s bountiful backyard vegetable garden. There were moments filled with laughter and some filled with large plates of spaghetti and fried fish. Regardless, we left Hunstville, Alabama with both our hearts and stomachs full. We’re grateful for that time with our Auntie and our Alabama family. Never forgetting where we come from and paying homage to that heritage gives us the chance to grow strong and upright as a company and at Chico's Cheesecakes, we’ll proudly carry the torch of our illustrious legacy.
