Grace had asked me to come early today, "as soon as you wake up". She must of been anxious this morning because when I woke up at a modest 7:38 and she had already sent me a text. "Wake up lazy Jett." She was like this on Wednesdays because she knows its my day off from campus classes and I really have no other commitments, other than spending quality time with her. I text her back letting her know I had a few housework chores I had to get done and out of the way. My plan was to get to her house about 11:00 this morning, which is a couple hours earlier than we usually get together on this day of the week. "Donuts please", she text back with her signature sassy self.
I got on with my morning so I could get things done quickly and head on out for my day with my little ray of sunshine. I stopped at the doughnut shop and picked up a dozen doughnuts, one for her and the rest she could give her dad. My Iowa friend's favorite doughnut was the angel creme filled one so that is the one I was going to have Grace try today. I already knew she would eat three or maybe four tiny bites and the rest would be mine, but it was worth sharing just for her to experience one more thing with me that I knew she would enjoy.
When I pull up into the drive way area of their house and park I land right in front of the window where Grace's bedroom is. As I pulled in today, and looked straight ahead, there was Grace in the window, with the curtains pulled to the side, giving me a big smile and a little half wave. By the time I reached their porch, she had their front door open and was standing there waiting for me. I am standing there with my back pack, my laptop bag, my guitar, the box of doughnuts in one hand and my Starbucks coffee in the other. "Open the door please", I tell her. "Well you haven't rang the bell or knocked yet", she says, grinning at me. "Grace my hands are full and you can see me, help a guy out, open the door", I tell her. "I'm not supposed to let strangers in our house", she states, still grinning. "I'm not a stranger. I'm your boyfriend remember? You have my Ipod", I say. "Oh, noooow you want to be my boyfriend. And you are very strange", she says back. "I have doughnuts", I say trying to get in. Grace opens the door, "why come on in boyfriend."
"We are having Mac and Cheese for lunch today. You are eating with us. My mommy made extra because you eat a lot", Grace says. I thank her for the invite, assure her I love, love, love Mac and Cheese, and promise I will not eat all mine and hers too. Grace's mom tells us we have about 30 minutes before lunch will be ready so we decided to go unload all my stuff in Grace's room, where we will continue to journal her journey. "What chores did you do today", she asks. "I had to do something for my dad", I tell her, "he wanted me to sweep out the garage, wash a load of towels, and then I had some of my own laundry to do." She pulls out her notebook of lists, opens it to her Things I Want To Do Yet list. I ask her what is she adding, or crossing off of, her list. "I need to do a load of laundry. I have never done that before." She states as if laundry is something everyone enjoys doing. I make a mental note of how Grace still continues to add things to her lists, even after telling me she is done adding things to her lists. Another lesson? Never give up?
The more time I spent with Grace, whether our days were terribly hard to get through like this past Monday, or simply delightful like on this past Saturday where Grace and her mom spent the day with the Misfits, playing Candy Land, the board game, with real candy, I was starting to look for the lesson in our visits. Searching for the reason this little girl and myself had become connected in life.
We ate our lunch and for dessert Grace had her angel creme doughnut. "Mmmmm, this is better than the pudding doughnut. How do you think they get that stuff in there? It looks like they just poked a hole right in it but do you think they squeezed the stuff in that little hole? That would be a messy job." She said as she examined the treat. I told her they probably used a machine to squirt it inside. "My way sounds more fun I think", she responded. "Yes it does Grace, I am sure you are right", I told her. After all, she's all girl, which means she's always right. right?
We were done with our meal and I asked Grace what she would like to do today. She reached into her little jeans pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Tell me that is not yet another list", I asked her rolling my eyes. She ignores me and my rolling eyes and begins to read her list.
watch the old footloose
play barbies
finish reading charolett's web
read some of our blogs
creep a friend
find more songs from martina mcbride, i liked her
me sing to your guitar
mow the lawn, you do it i will nap then my daddy wont have to do it tonight
"That is quite a list you created. Do you really want me to mow your lawn?" I asked her. She looked at me a solid in the eyes, "yes. you know how to do it right?" I tell her of course I know how to mow a lawn. It wasn't a lie, I do know how, I just choose to not participate in doing it, but I have done it before, twice in the last 2 years in fact. "Well, if we have time you can do it. It will surprise my daddy."
We spend the day crossing off the items on Grace's list for today. I stretched everything out as much as I could to avoid this whole grass cutting mess. I thought I would just have my dad do it, he would be happy to do it, and he would do a much better job then me. Then Grace said she was tired and she wanted to rest and that I should mow the lawn. No way out of it now, I helped her get tucked in to rest and headed out to mow. The entire time I mowed, in my mind, I was landscaping the home I would someday own and smiled at how super sic it would look, all paved over, with no yard, not a blade of grass, not a single weed to whack. I would definitely rather do laundry.
The only thing left on Grace's list was to play my guitar and let her sing her songs. She was awake from her nap before I was done with the lawn and was out on the back porch watching me try to not run over any flowers, or were they weeds, i don't know, but half are gone. Like the good girlfriend she is to me, she had a nice glass of ice tea waiting for me when I was finished. "My daddy does not take that long to mow lazy Jett", she said. "Well your daddy is twice my age so he's done it longer than I have", I sass her back, "and quit calling me lazy." Grace just laughs, probably because she knows its true, this whole me being lazy business.
Grace wanted to sing so that is what we ended up our day together with. Her favorite song to sing was Jesus Loves Me. I was surprised when she had asked me weeks ago to put it on 'our' Ipod. She asked me to find the lyrics to it so she could learn the words. Once she has sang her favorite song, she wants to sing another. Then another. She requests, I play, she sings. "Jett?", she says. "Yes Gracie?", I ask. "Can you record me singing songs so I can give it to my daddy and mommy?", she asks, looking at me with those big green eyes. "Of course Gracie, when would you like to do it?" "Very soon, like real soon, we cannot wait many more days please", she tells me. I tell her we can do it on Friday, that we will send her mommy on a wild goose chase so we have the house to ourselves and we will record her singing, and maybe she can talk to them, and read a book to them on tape so they will have her voice forever. "Maybe you can do me on a video too, so they can see me after I go", she says excitedly. "Good idea dude, it will be fun working on this project for your parent", I tell her.
Grace helps me pack up my bags as we talk about the video she will make. She tells me that she will work on what she wants to tell them in a message on her video. She tells me how she can wear different outfits, and her kicks, and some of her lids, all her favorite things. My heart starts to sink as she talks about this project. We continue to pack up my things and I can't help but think about how excited she is to do this project to leave her parents with a gift that will have to last them not only their lifetime, but hers as well. She still refuses to think of this as anything bad, or anything sad, trudging forward as her days draw to an end. "You are getting sad Jett, you know I do not want you to be sad", she tells me. "I know Gracie, I just am going to miss you so much", I tell her with a lump in my throat. She comes over to me and I kneel down on the floor for a hug. We hug tight, baby bear tight, and when Grace releases her grip on me she takes that little hand and extents it to my chest. Pushing the palm of her hand against my chest, over my heart, she says, "I'm in your heart Jett, no one can find me in there. I will be safe forever in your heart." I kiss my little angel sister on the cheek and hold out my pinkie. She hugs her pinkie to mine. "Gracie, I pinkie swear that I will keep you safe in my heart forever. I love you."
I gather up my things and head out, ending our day on a happy note. I am no sooner back at my house when my cell beeps "look in your laptop bag" is the text from Grace. I look in the bag and see my Ipod. I pull it out and there is a paper wrapped around it. I take the paper off and read the note. boyfriend, load justin beiber songs on our ipod. I smile. Big. I love this girl.
She just keeps on living.
I got on with my morning so I could get things done quickly and head on out for my day with my little ray of sunshine. I stopped at the doughnut shop and picked up a dozen doughnuts, one for her and the rest she could give her dad. My Iowa friend's favorite doughnut was the angel creme filled one so that is the one I was going to have Grace try today. I already knew she would eat three or maybe four tiny bites and the rest would be mine, but it was worth sharing just for her to experience one more thing with me that I knew she would enjoy.
When I pull up into the drive way area of their house and park I land right in front of the window where Grace's bedroom is. As I pulled in today, and looked straight ahead, there was Grace in the window, with the curtains pulled to the side, giving me a big smile and a little half wave. By the time I reached their porch, she had their front door open and was standing there waiting for me. I am standing there with my back pack, my laptop bag, my guitar, the box of doughnuts in one hand and my Starbucks coffee in the other. "Open the door please", I tell her. "Well you haven't rang the bell or knocked yet", she says, grinning at me. "Grace my hands are full and you can see me, help a guy out, open the door", I tell her. "I'm not supposed to let strangers in our house", she states, still grinning. "I'm not a stranger. I'm your boyfriend remember? You have my Ipod", I say. "Oh, noooow you want to be my boyfriend. And you are very strange", she says back. "I have doughnuts", I say trying to get in. Grace opens the door, "why come on in boyfriend."
"We are having Mac and Cheese for lunch today. You are eating with us. My mommy made extra because you eat a lot", Grace says. I thank her for the invite, assure her I love, love, love Mac and Cheese, and promise I will not eat all mine and hers too. Grace's mom tells us we have about 30 minutes before lunch will be ready so we decided to go unload all my stuff in Grace's room, where we will continue to journal her journey. "What chores did you do today", she asks. "I had to do something for my dad", I tell her, "he wanted me to sweep out the garage, wash a load of towels, and then I had some of my own laundry to do." She pulls out her notebook of lists, opens it to her Things I Want To Do Yet list. I ask her what is she adding, or crossing off of, her list. "I need to do a load of laundry. I have never done that before." She states as if laundry is something everyone enjoys doing. I make a mental note of how Grace still continues to add things to her lists, even after telling me she is done adding things to her lists. Another lesson? Never give up?
The more time I spent with Grace, whether our days were terribly hard to get through like this past Monday, or simply delightful like on this past Saturday where Grace and her mom spent the day with the Misfits, playing Candy Land, the board game, with real candy, I was starting to look for the lesson in our visits. Searching for the reason this little girl and myself had become connected in life.
We ate our lunch and for dessert Grace had her angel creme doughnut. "Mmmmm, this is better than the pudding doughnut. How do you think they get that stuff in there? It looks like they just poked a hole right in it but do you think they squeezed the stuff in that little hole? That would be a messy job." She said as she examined the treat. I told her they probably used a machine to squirt it inside. "My way sounds more fun I think", she responded. "Yes it does Grace, I am sure you are right", I told her. After all, she's all girl, which means she's always right. right?
We were done with our meal and I asked Grace what she would like to do today. She reached into her little jeans pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Tell me that is not yet another list", I asked her rolling my eyes. She ignores me and my rolling eyes and begins to read her list.
watch the old footloose
play barbies
finish reading charolett's web
read some of our blogs
creep a friend
find more songs from martina mcbride, i liked her
me sing to your guitar
mow the lawn, you do it i will nap then my daddy wont have to do it tonight
"That is quite a list you created. Do you really want me to mow your lawn?" I asked her. She looked at me a solid in the eyes, "yes. you know how to do it right?" I tell her of course I know how to mow a lawn. It wasn't a lie, I do know how, I just choose to not participate in doing it, but I have done it before, twice in the last 2 years in fact. "Well, if we have time you can do it. It will surprise my daddy."
We spend the day crossing off the items on Grace's list for today. I stretched everything out as much as I could to avoid this whole grass cutting mess. I thought I would just have my dad do it, he would be happy to do it, and he would do a much better job then me. Then Grace said she was tired and she wanted to rest and that I should mow the lawn. No way out of it now, I helped her get tucked in to rest and headed out to mow. The entire time I mowed, in my mind, I was landscaping the home I would someday own and smiled at how super sic it would look, all paved over, with no yard, not a blade of grass, not a single weed to whack. I would definitely rather do laundry.
The only thing left on Grace's list was to play my guitar and let her sing her songs. She was awake from her nap before I was done with the lawn and was out on the back porch watching me try to not run over any flowers, or were they weeds, i don't know, but half are gone. Like the good girlfriend she is to me, she had a nice glass of ice tea waiting for me when I was finished. "My daddy does not take that long to mow lazy Jett", she said. "Well your daddy is twice my age so he's done it longer than I have", I sass her back, "and quit calling me lazy." Grace just laughs, probably because she knows its true, this whole me being lazy business.
Grace wanted to sing so that is what we ended up our day together with. Her favorite song to sing was Jesus Loves Me. I was surprised when she had asked me weeks ago to put it on 'our' Ipod. She asked me to find the lyrics to it so she could learn the words. Once she has sang her favorite song, she wants to sing another. Then another. She requests, I play, she sings. "Jett?", she says. "Yes Gracie?", I ask. "Can you record me singing songs so I can give it to my daddy and mommy?", she asks, looking at me with those big green eyes. "Of course Gracie, when would you like to do it?" "Very soon, like real soon, we cannot wait many more days please", she tells me. I tell her we can do it on Friday, that we will send her mommy on a wild goose chase so we have the house to ourselves and we will record her singing, and maybe she can talk to them, and read a book to them on tape so they will have her voice forever. "Maybe you can do me on a video too, so they can see me after I go", she says excitedly. "Good idea dude, it will be fun working on this project for your parent", I tell her.
Grace helps me pack up my bags as we talk about the video she will make. She tells me that she will work on what she wants to tell them in a message on her video. She tells me how she can wear different outfits, and her kicks, and some of her lids, all her favorite things. My heart starts to sink as she talks about this project. We continue to pack up my things and I can't help but think about how excited she is to do this project to leave her parents with a gift that will have to last them not only their lifetime, but hers as well. She still refuses to think of this as anything bad, or anything sad, trudging forward as her days draw to an end. "You are getting sad Jett, you know I do not want you to be sad", she tells me. "I know Gracie, I just am going to miss you so much", I tell her with a lump in my throat. She comes over to me and I kneel down on the floor for a hug. We hug tight, baby bear tight, and when Grace releases her grip on me she takes that little hand and extents it to my chest. Pushing the palm of her hand against my chest, over my heart, she says, "I'm in your heart Jett, no one can find me in there. I will be safe forever in your heart." I kiss my little angel sister on the cheek and hold out my pinkie. She hugs her pinkie to mine. "Gracie, I pinkie swear that I will keep you safe in my heart forever. I love you."
I gather up my things and head out, ending our day on a happy note. I am no sooner back at my house when my cell beeps "look in your laptop bag" is the text from Grace. I look in the bag and see my Ipod. I pull it out and there is a paper wrapped around it. I take the paper off and read the note. boyfriend, load justin beiber songs on our ipod. I smile. Big. I love this girl.
She just keeps on living.
