Recently I’ve come to know an amazing woman in her 90’s. She is loving, lovable, feisty, wise and brave. Her name is Jessie. She has a sharp mind and a keen sense of humor. Today she challenged herself. You see Jess has macular degeneration. Her vision is limited. She once said that it makes her mad and then corrected herself not mad just frustrated.
Today when I saw her walking to the noon Mass I was concerned. She always gets a ride. When she had to stop driving, with a clean record, her motivation was so that no one would get hurt. Now I was concerned for Jessie's safety especially crossing the street. When I parked my car and went to meet her, she took my arm as we entered the Church together. She told me how she started out, then went back and then was determined to walk to Mass. Her usual ride was unavailable today and she had overcome her fear in order to get to church.
I managed to convince her to let me drive her home. Reluctant at first she came to realize that maybe walking one way was good enough for today. Jessie is someone who inspires and amazes. As one who is not much of a risk taker, I hope to learn from her courage and spunk.
