I met Juanita in a very transformative time in my life; I was in the valley of my youth, traversing between the peaks of childhood and mountains of manhood. These years were transformative in a “live fast, die young” kind of way, and although I look back with a light heart, I see now that there were people that had influenced me beyond measure.
They say that we all have one thing in common. We all have a mother. There are so many different mothers that a man can have in his lifetime. The one we’re born with, the ones we accept as our own, the ones that accept us as their own, and the ones we initiate into motherhood. Juanita has been a mother to me for many years and has shaped my understanding of what it means to love with a full heart and to have a kindness and gentleness that only comes through true strength.
I once read that I should write something worth reading or do something worth writing about. Well, I can tell you this, there aren’t many people who can say that they’ve done both; Juanita is one of those special people that can change your life with a simple smile or a kind word. She has a heart that heals and a presence that’s unparalleled. Without her influence, my life would not be the same, and for that, I say, thank you, Juanita.