Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Best Christmas Present Ever!!!

Let me tell you about my Jessi. She has to be the most amazing little sister anyone could have. I cannot begin to express how much she means to me. I am in constant awe of her beliefs, her ethics, her love of people that she is close to and so much more. Tomorrow is her birthday and it seems like yesterday she was being born. I moved to MS when Con (my mom) was pregnant with Jessi. I was a typical 15 year old girl from Tennessee. I moved here to live with my Dad and Connie after I finished my 8th grade year of school. I left 3 little brothers in TN when I moved here, so I was very excited that there would soon be a little one to occupy my time. I had always wanted a sister, after all, I had 3 brothers and with each one of them, I had prayed that they would be a girl. Obviously, it was not the plan. So, when it was confirmed that she was a girl, I was sooo excited. It was going to be like I had my own baby as I am almost 16 years older than her. We went into labor with Jes on Christmas Eve. Of course, Dad panicked, as Connie's water had broken he thought she was fixing to have her right at that moment. NOT. We get to the hospital to wait patiently on our beautiful little girl who had her own idea of when and what time she wanted to meet all of us. I think if she had it her way, she would have spent a little more time in the womb. We went thru 18 long hours of labor with no baby, so finally they performed a C-Section and the rest is history! The most beautiful, caring, loving and nurturing girl became my most treasured Christmas Present. I have watched over the past 23 years as this little loving baby has grown into a loving young woman who now is beginning to start a family of her own and I cannot be any prouder of her even if she were my very own child. In my heart, she is mine. I love her as I love my own 2 boys. On her wedding day in Cabo, I realized that she was not the little girl anymore, that she was now a woman, a wife and one day would be a mother. You know, I guess when you are around someone you love on a regular basis, you seem to take them for granted and don't always share your feelings with them. So maybe if she reads this, she will know how much I love her.