Out with the old...
I came home from church one Sunday night to the news that Jess, whom I didn't know, was moving in within the next couple of hours. She was going to be sleeping in Heather's room so It wouldn't effect me. Wrong. It would effect me! After I blew up and stomped my feet around like I was 5 I realized that what Heather was doing is something that she love to do. She was helping someone. Jess was currently living in a not so great area of town and didn't feel safe where she was living. So as I know Heather to do, she opened her arms and heart to Jess and told her that she could come live with us. After the first couple of days that Jess was living with us, I finally gave in and decided to send a smile in her direction. After all it wasn't her that I was mad at, It was Heather. Fast forward two weeks and you would have guessed that Jess and I had been friends our entire life. We pretty much did everything together and then some. We both have a soft spot for dry humor and sarcasm so when ever you were around us you had to really try to not get offended.
Now 3 months after Jess moved in, she is moving out. After tearing her ACL during an indoor soccer game and having to go to physical therapy she had the epiphany that she wants to go back to school to become a physical therapist. I'm all for support but it was a decision that was made and carried out in a matter of about 10 days. Now at this point I screaming in the back of my head, "What about Africa?! What about law school?!" Since Jess had moved in that is all we ever heard about. She had been to Africa when she was in college on a missions trip and fell in love with it. So it was a bit of a shock when Africa went out the window followed by law school to move back home and become a physical therapist.
After spending Mother's day at home with her family she was back in town to pack her things and be on her way. I woke up the next morning to the sound of Jess telling me that she was leaving. Not fully thinking that she was really going to move I asked where she was going to which she laughed and replied I'm going home. I sat up and gave her the biggest hug I could conjure up at that moment, with crusties still in my eyes. I smiled and waved as she headed downstairs for the last time to get in her car and head back home.
I watched from the window waving, even though she couldn't see me, then came the tears. I had only know her for a short while but the part of our lives that we got to share together were the most spontaneous and fun days I'd had in a while. From driving her around in the backseat of my car with her knee braced, so she couldn't drive or sit shotgun. To the day we decided to get dressed up to go to a chili and barbeque cook off about and hour away, where we were being followed by a crazy drunk guy that wanted to "hang out". Which also happened to be the day we decided to go antique shopping where I talked her out of buying a burlap sack that instead of potatoes it was for weed.... Next was a stop for some amazing amish food, she had never tried it and kept asking me if the people that worked there were Amish. I told her no but she never believed me. As we drove home windows down into the sunset listening to the soundtrack from the movie Country Strong, I couldn't help but smile and thank her for living life with me.
As I write this now I can think of a hundred more stories to tell but I would rather keep some to myself. I know she will be back, who knows when, but she will be. She loved this place too much to really leave it. It may not be home but it was one for a while. So here is to the nights filled with laughter and burp throw-up and many thanks to "Linsky" and to "Ross" for letting us use your wi-fi. If it wasn't for you how would she have ever been able to look up Africa every hour like she was afraid it was going to change and she would miss it. Then again she probably used to more to facebook stalk the person she was thinking about at any random moment.
Jess: A whimsical and lively spirit with such a warm heart and a simple yet corny laugh that one day her husband will love.
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