Why I Love Luby's and Why My Husband Won't Take Me There...

My parents and I went to Luby's every Sunday after church. Church would end at 11am and we would be the first ones to get to Luby's. I would stock up on my ham, mac and cheese and fried okra. I would butter both sides of my roll and finish it off with my glass of tea. It was heaven. My parents and I would normally discuss the sermon, grandchildren, school, my friends and what events are coming up for the week. It was nice to really bond with them even if it was only for a hour or so.

Afterwards, we would normally visit my sisters and their children. I was so excited to be able to spend time with my sisters, because I never got to see them except after lunch on Sundays. I would play with the babies (until they cried) and then after a couple or hours or so it was time to go home.

The more I got observant the more I changed. After a while I got tired of Luby's. I would push my parents to try something different. Let's go to Black-Eyed Pea, I would say. So we would try that, but sure enough, Luby's it was for the next week. It must have been the good price for the LuAnn platter.

Then I became a teenager and was embarrased that I went to Luby's. I figured it was for old people only. I didn't want to go to Luby's on the night I had someone spend the night. I think my parents understood. We would go somewhere "hip" like Chili's. (Funny, huh?)

Later in my life I stopped going to church every week. I was a college student and now had more of a choice whether or not to go. I still went pretty regularly, but not all the time. We would go to Luby's maybe every once in a while, especially if my sisters and her children came with us.

Eventually, they closed the Luby's we went to. I got real sad about that. Luby's to me was a big part of my life. I know it sounds funny, but somehow it just was. It was the gathering place for a girl and her parents where we were away from real life and could just focus on each other.

Now as a mother, I think about where my child will have memories of. Will it be somewhere significant? Will it be some random place like a cafeteria? In those off-beat moments that aren't really planned - the ones that just happen? Who knows.

I do know that it won't be at Luby's. My husband thinks Luby's is gross. So we don't go there - plain and simple. Which is fine...I still treasure the memories of my parents and me together...on a Sunday...alone.