JESSICA IS THE NICEST person ever. She and I have been friends for four years. We're in the fifth grade together, and we also take the same ballet and jazz class on Monday afternoons.
One day this summer, Jessica joined my loder sister, my mom, and me on a day trip to Connecticut so we could visit with friends and play at the beach. But when we picked Jessica up at her house, she cried and didn't want to leave. I've noticed Jessica usually has a hard time leaving her family. She cries—even if she'll only be away from home for just for a short time, like being in ballet class or having an afternoon play date. But I knew we would have a good time together—and I think she knew it too—and I wanted her to feel happy and safe even if she wasn't close to home.
Jessica's mom encouraged her to get in the car and soon we started on our trip. But she was still crying. We were all really quiet and I know my mom was praying. I was also thinking about the right thing to say. So I just concentrated on loving her and being patient with her, which I knew were qualities of God. Jessica expresses a lot of love and patience, so I knew she would relate.
