She Will Be Forever With Me

Juanita and I met when we were working together in the tobacco fields, before I went to boot camp. Shortly after my term in the service I asked Juanita for her hand in marriage. Together we built a good life out in the country by working hard and paying our bills. With the grapes we grew on our farm we made wine, and from the tomatoes in our garden we made tomato juice. Living off the land we worked so hard to keep up was so rewarding, and I loved sharing it with her. Cooking a hog to make Carolina Barbeque was something we loved to do to bring neighbors and friends together. It wasn’t complete without Juanitas baked beans, cole slaw, and potato salad. One of the things I loved the most about her, is every time I went fishing and hunting she would love to come with me. How many women love to fish or hunt with their husbands? Juanita did. I was so lucky to have married my best friend.

I’ll never forget her face when we went to pick out her new boat. I don’t know which was better – the excitement in her face and voice, or actually taking the boat home – knowing what great times lay ahead. Unfortunately, time wasn’t on our side. I lost Juanita a few years after we got that boat. It was far too soon. There’s still a hole in my heart. Looking back, we did everything together, but it didn’t really matter what we did, as long as we did it together. Today when I get the grandkids out there on her boat, I feel a sense of togetherness. I’m doing what she would want me to do. The boat is a special place for my grandkids and me. And most of the time, there’s just no place I’d rather be.

Buddy, Lenoir County