WRITTEN BY PAMELA PATTON

A Mother's Love

Many BBQ experts are very secretive about the ingredients they use in their dry rubs. But Cassandra Miller's secret ingredient is her love for her son Rello.

Cassandra is a professional grill master. As owner of CJ's Barbecue & Smokehouse, she has participated in many grilling competitions near and around Royal Oak, including the Big Green Egg and Smoke & Jazz, the Oak Park Battle of the Barbecue, and many different barbecue organizations in Michigan. She even battled with the Kansas City Cookoff Society.

But Cassandra's life took a turn for the worse on June 4, 2021, when her son, Rello, died suddenly of a hemorrhagic brain bleed at the age of 35.

"I was just totally, totally devastated. He was my best friend — people always thought we were more like brother and sister, and I'd have to tell them I'm the mom."

Cassandra continues, "I didn't want to be a grieving mother. But when you're dealing with grief, you deal with so many mixed emotions. You never know when the waves of grief are going to hit. I try to tell people that they're not in a specific order. And you just have to try to make it through your grief. You have to make it through the grief because there's no turnaround point. It's really like you're going to sink or swim. I wasn't planning to sink, even though many days it felt like I was sinking."

Turning Sorrow into Success

On August 16, 2021, Cassandra's life changed again when Rello appeared in a dream.

"I was in a real deep sleep, but I popped up out of my sleep, looking smack dead in my husband's face, saying, 'Oh, my God, oh, my God. Today is the first day I dreamed about Rello.' I saw him very clearly sitting on my couch. He had on black jeans and a white T-shirt. He had a small jar in his left hand, which he was holding up to the ceiling as if he were saying 'Congratulations, Ma, congratulations."

Cassandra wondered what Rello could possibly be congratulating her for. But then, Cassandra, a woman of faith, felt the Lord speak to her and tell her what to do.

"I found a four-ounce jar and filled it with my Western rub. I got a chalk adhesive label, wrote 'Rello's Rub' on it, stuck it on the jar, and tied it with twine. Then I went to the Woodward Corner Market and asked to see a manager. I met with Lee Stinson, and 48 hours later, Rello's Rub had a place on their shelves in aisle number seven."

The Magic of Dry Rubs

Just what is a dry rub? People in the barbecue world and those who love to barbecue know that a dry rub is a method of seasoning and tenderizing meat, whether ribs, steaks, pork or chicken. Cassandra wanted to provide something different from most rubs on the market, so she developed her signature Rello's Rub, Rello's Grill Time Rub.

"It's a multi-purpose rub that can be used in many ways other than a rub. It can be used as a marinade; you can sprinkle it on top of meats or salads and even blend it to create a salad dressing. It's made with vegan ingredients, including smoked paprika, a little bit of garlic powder, salt and pepper. We use pink Himalayan salt because we stay away from iodized salt. Meat lovers and vegetarians alike can use it. It's even Keto-friendly. It's the only one in an eight-ounce jar; my family calls it " The Big Boi."

In addition to the multi-purpose rub, The Rello's Rubs line includes rubs for pork, chicken, and beef.

Finding Peace After Loss

Cassandra's dream about her son Rello brought her a new woman-owned business opportunity and something else: Peace of mind.

"I was happy that I knew my son very well. And I know that even though the Lord decided he would have to go home now, he would leave me one last gift that I can see, touch, taste, and smell. And the best part is it has been a pleasure for me as a grieving mother to hear people saying, Rello—that's all I ever wanted was just to hear his name. I journal every day, and in my journaling, I write Rello a letter with what I call the good, the bad, and the ugly to let him know how things are going. Because he saved my life. I was in such a dark place. But when I went into the kitchen that day to recreate what he had shown me in the dream, I knew I was going where he showed me to go."

Embracing Community

Cassandra is also grateful for the support the Woodward Store team and the community have in supporting her business in memory of her son. One of her community initiatives is her Cooking with Cassie classes she offers at the Berkley Library.

"I love teaching kids to cook, and I love watching the little hands as they mix their ingredients and follow a recipe. They cook one item we can eat in class and get a recipe they can take home and make for their family."

Cassandra is forthcoming about her emotions around Rello's death. "I'm a Christian woman, and according to His Word, the Lord knows his plans for me. And to be honest with you, I was very upset with the Lord. I wondered what I had done to have him take Rello away from me, but my son's job here on the Earth, his earthly duties were done. And I feel confident in knowing that I know for a fact that my son is in the arms of the Lord.

National Rello Day

To commemorate and celebrate Rello, Cassandra has designed June 4, the date of Rello's passing, as Rello's Rub Miller. "When Rello passed, he had four children: two boys and two girls. I didn't want my grandchildren to think of the day of their father's passing as one of sadness, marked by a visit to the cemetery. They will always remember June 4, so I wanted to turn the day from sadness to celebration."

Cassandra marked National Rello Miller for the first time last year. "My family went to the Woodward Marketplace store, and we held raffles and giveaways. I gave every guest an apple-green balloon, Rello's favorite color, and asked them to release it into the sky to celebrate Rello. The day is also a way to promote stroke awareness. I have games and face painting for the kids. It's a fun family event to celebrate my son."

Finding Strength in Grief

Cassandra still grieves for her son, but in her grief, Cassandra has a lot to be grateful for. "This has brought so many wonderful people into my life, and I've had many opportunities. We've branched out to events in Grand Rapids, and I've even used Rello's Rubs in an international barbeque competition."

She concludes, "Grief is simply your love for an individual that now has no place to go. But I take my grief, and I spread it into things that involve Rello because I don't want to have grief with no place to go. And we pray a lot and ask that the Lord restore our souls and give us peace and comfort in knowing that my son, Rello, is just what we call resting. He's resting right now."

Shop Local at Woodward Corner Market

You can find Rello’s Dry Rubs on a wing in aisle 7 at Woodward Corner Market!

Meet Rello's Dry Rubs