Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
I met Miss Tilly Thomas in early 2018, shortly after joining Greene Publishing. It was the week of her birthday, and she requested a story be written to help her celebrate. Everyone at the office knew Miss Tilly, except for me. I had no idea of the adventure that awaited me when I arrived at her home.
Stepping out of the front porch, Miss Tilly, dressed as elegantly as the queen of England, approached my truck in wide-eyed wonder. “Who are you?” asked Thomas. “I don’t know you!”
It was apparent that this would be no normal interview. Nothing about Miss Tilly was normal, because she was exceptional in every way. After a few minutes, the conversation turned to matters of faith and enduring hardship.
The glimmer in her eyes shined more brightly the longer she talked, recalling how her beloved husband died while their 13 children were young. She spoke proudly of how God sustained her through many difficult days, and helped her to raise many other children throughout Greenville in the decades that followed. Her love for her community was expressed in her final wishes. “Keep providing caps and gowns for the eighth graders at Greenville Elementary School,” said Thomas. “Don’t lose our last school. It is important for our kids and community. Also, continue to work together in our beloved community. United we stand and divided we fall.”
After taking a tour of the numerous pictures that adorned her walls and hearing how proud she was of her children and grandchildren, it was off to the garden, where Miss Tilly had several vegetables planted near her chicken coop. “I love helping people,” said Thomas, with an ever-widening grin. I cook for people all the time. I do a lot.” Before I left, I found myself carrying a lot of her finest offerings. She loaded my truck with pears, fresh greens and my personal favorite, bread pudding.
It’s worth noting that I despise bread pudding. I did, until I reluctantly tried hers. The flavors that flooded my tastebuds will never be forgotten. I was hooked. I teased her about that pudding for the rest of her life, and she made me several more batches of that heavenly concoction, simply because she knew I loved it. She also knew that I loved her. Her faith and kindness won my heart, and her no-nonsense approach to everything was refreshing to me.
I can proudly say that our relationship moved from “Who are you?” to the point that I was the writer she always requested. I don’t know how I got that honor, but I will always treasure the fact that I did. There are only a few folks left who see the world as Miss Tilly did. Few have her strength and wisdom. Even fewer are as driven to serve others as Miss Tilly did on a regular basis. Few know her faith, chiseled out of grief and hardship.
One of the things that struck me about our conversations was her outlook on racism. Though confronted with it numerous times, Miss Tilly treated it as if it were a gnat on the windshield of her life. Her answer for it was predictable: “Stay with God and do right. He will always see you through.”
My dear friend finished her last battle on Tuesday, Sept. 5, and started her eternal celebration with Jesus, who I am certain dressed her up for the occasion, as she would have had it no other way. She often told me “I don’t smoke or drink, but I do party, I just party with the Lord, sure do!” While I’m excited about joining her for that party, I’m going to miss her greatly in my remaining years. I find some comfort in knowing she will have a fresh batch of bread pudding waiting on me when I get there. Until then, I will stay with God and do my best to do right.