July is here, which means #BBQmemories has come to a close. Buz would like to extend a big thanks to everyone that submitted. Whether you were enjoying some homemade ‘cue with your buddies or stopping in for some Buz and Ned’s, we loved hearing about barbecue’s role in your life. Some made us chuckle ’til we were sore in the ribs. Others made us teary-eyed. Regardless, we could only pick one, and what a pick it was!
Without further ado, the official winner of #BBQmemories contest is: Cathy C.
Though the competition was stiff, Buz was blown away by Cathy’s story and how barbecue changed her life. We hope you enjoy the ‘cue and a grillkit on us to help honor your father’s memory and keep that grill smokin’!
Here’s Cathy’s winning entry:
“My father every Saturday would grill steaks, chops, rib and chicken. We’d also have salad, baked potatoes and some kind of dessert, which made for great memories since my grandfather would come every Saturday. One Saturday when my father and I went out shopping for everything, there was this mother and her 2 kids in the store.
“I was 14 at the time and I noticed something that wasn’t quite right. I watched the mother and the kids as we went thru the store. All three of them had this horrible sadness about them that just did something to me. I said something to my Dad and he told me to mind my business until he noticed them.
“My father was a war vet from WWII and Korea. He noticed that she had dog tags around her neck. She and her kids were in line and my father struck up a conversation with her. Come to find out, they had found her husbands remains in Vietnam three weeks before and they had just come from Arlington from his burial. She started to cry, we pulled our carts out of the aisle (we were at an A & P store) and the manager saw us and allowed us to go into his office. I had her two kids and my dad told me to go find a couple of toys for them in the store.
“He gave me $2 and those kids thought I had a million dollars. My father and her spoke for a while, I got the toys and a couple of suckers for them, they came out, my father purchased our groceries and theirs. That night, they were there for dinner and every Saturday after. She became my aunt and her kids my brother and sister. She passed away from cancer in 1996 but her kids have been at every family event since they came into our lives. My father and mother have both passed away but my parents gave me the most valuable lesson in life; compassion for others.
“So I tip my hat to my Dad who taught me this and the care he took in that family. I pay it forward often. That is what in my mind, we should do.”
