Jessie and her sister, Taylor(please excuse her messy hair, I was not on the ball this day)
The family I live with is going out of town this weekend, which means I have three days of me-n-Jessie time ahead of me. I haven't talked about Jessie very much (if at all) on here, but she's been a big part of my life for the last 6-7 months. Thanks to her, I get a free apartment in the Stake President's house, and a job at the SP's physical therapy clinic and urgent care clinic. Also, his sister who runs HR for all of his clinics has offered me a career after I graduate (one that I don't think I'll take, but it's nice to have the option.) All this because Jessie's mom picked me out of a crowd to be friends with and care for her daughter.
Jessie just turned 20. We have the same first and middle names. She loves movies...especially romantic comedies and old westerns. She is totally boy crazy. She likes to play tricks on me and laughs when I look stupid. She also has Angelman Syndrome. This means that she doesn't talk at all and can't walk long distances. She can feed herself with a spoon but is still working on the whole fork thing. I get to bathe her, dress her and change her diaper when I'm watching her. In some ways she is super smart, but a lot of the time hanging out with her is just like hanging out with an adult-sized toddler. I never thought I would be friends with someone like Jessie, but I'm so glad I am because I have learned a lot from her and also she ALWAYS makes me laugh and laughter is my very favorite thing!!
One time when I was making dinner in the kitchen, I could hear Jessie laughing periodically. She was watching a western and when I went in to see what she thought was so funny, I realized that she was laughing everytime a cowboy pulled a gun out of his holster. If anyone got shot, she REALLY thought that was funny. She also thinks The Three Stooges, dogs and anyone falling down are hilarious.
The falling down doesn't have to happen on-screen for Jessie to get a good laugh. I took her to the mall once and was having a hard time maneuvering her wheelchair out of the non-automatic doors (the wheelchair is just for when we're going to be on our feet a long time.) It was my first time with her in the wheelchair and I wasn't smart enough to figure out that if I went backwards out the door, I could hang on to her chair and get out easily. So instead I twisted myself into a knot trying to shove the door open by reaching over her head and then running out the door before it closed all the way and then grabbing her chair -- and before I knew it, I was flat on my butt and Jessie was laughing (loudly) at my predicament.
Jessie also likes to play tricks on me for her own amusement. One time I made pizza and got hers all ready for her, then put mine on a plate and turned to fill my water cup. I heard an (evil) laugh and when I turned around, Jessie has pulled all the cheese and toppings off of my pizza and was VERY proud of her little joke. The last time her parents were out of town, I had put her in the tub and then left to put in a load of laundry. Jessie, the little stinker, has always led me to believe that she can't get out of the tub without my help. So imagine my surprise when I headed back to the bathroom only to be intercepted by a dripping wet, naked Jessie who then ran away from me laughing her head off!
When it comes to boys, Jessie is a totally normal boy-crazy 20 year old. When a hot guy comes on the screen on tv or in a movie, she yells and wiggles and (if at home) scoots as close to the screen as possible to get close to her crush. Here is a list of her favorites since I've started watching her:
1. Ed Speleers from Eragon
Jessie just turned 20. We have the same first and middle names. She loves movies...especially romantic comedies and old westerns. She is totally boy crazy. She likes to play tricks on me and laughs when I look stupid. She also has Angelman Syndrome. This means that she doesn't talk at all and can't walk long distances. She can feed herself with a spoon but is still working on the whole fork thing. I get to bathe her, dress her and change her diaper when I'm watching her. In some ways she is super smart, but a lot of the time hanging out with her is just like hanging out with an adult-sized toddler. I never thought I would be friends with someone like Jessie, but I'm so glad I am because I have learned a lot from her and also she ALWAYS makes me laugh and laughter is my very favorite thing!!
One time when I was making dinner in the kitchen, I could hear Jessie laughing periodically. She was watching a western and when I went in to see what she thought was so funny, I realized that she was laughing everytime a cowboy pulled a gun out of his holster. If anyone got shot, she REALLY thought that was funny. She also thinks The Three Stooges, dogs and anyone falling down are hilarious.
The falling down doesn't have to happen on-screen for Jessie to get a good laugh. I took her to the mall once and was having a hard time maneuvering her wheelchair out of the non-automatic doors (the wheelchair is just for when we're going to be on our feet a long time.) It was my first time with her in the wheelchair and I wasn't smart enough to figure out that if I went backwards out the door, I could hang on to her chair and get out easily. So instead I twisted myself into a knot trying to shove the door open by reaching over her head and then running out the door before it closed all the way and then grabbing her chair -- and before I knew it, I was flat on my butt and Jessie was laughing (loudly) at my predicament.
Jessie also likes to play tricks on me for her own amusement. One time I made pizza and got hers all ready for her, then put mine on a plate and turned to fill my water cup. I heard an (evil) laugh and when I turned around, Jessie has pulled all the cheese and toppings off of my pizza and was VERY proud of her little joke. The last time her parents were out of town, I had put her in the tub and then left to put in a load of laundry. Jessie, the little stinker, has always led me to believe that she can't get out of the tub without my help. So imagine my surprise when I headed back to the bathroom only to be intercepted by a dripping wet, naked Jessie who then ran away from me laughing her head off!
When it comes to boys, Jessie is a totally normal boy-crazy 20 year old. When a hot guy comes on the screen on tv or in a movie, she yells and wiggles and (if at home) scoots as close to the screen as possible to get close to her crush. Here is a list of her favorites since I've started watching her:
1. Ed Speleers from Eragon
2. Logan Bartholomew from Love's Enduring Promise
3. James Franco from Fly Boys
4. James Marsden from X-Men, Ever After, Hairspray and 27 Dresses
5. And last (but DEFINITELY not least) is her favorite, Zac Efron -- of HSM and Hairspray fame
She has good taste, no? Maybe I should ask her what she thinks about Mr. Mark Ruffalo, haha.
I have so much fun with Jessie whenever we hang out. She is almost always happy and willing to give hugs and play. I also really love her family and am so appreciative of everything that her mom and dad do for me. In the long run, Jessie will have only been a direct part of my life for a moment, but the influence she's had on my heart and spirit will last forever and ever. Super cheesy, I know, but very, very true.
1 comment:
Wow, you are a better person than me. I don't know if I could handle that as well as you are. Sometimes the most interesting people make such an impact in our lives. Jessie is obviously one of those people for you :)
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