Stacie

I have a friend named Stacie. She is a little younger than me — not quite forty — and she has lived in her home with her parents her entire life.

Stacie was born with Williams syndrome, a genetic condition which causes developmental delays and learning disabilities.  Stacie's parents fought hard to get her into mainstream schools with special education programs, and she was able to finish high school, receiving a certificate of completion. Tests show that she functions mentally at a first or second grade level.

And yet, I have learned so much from Stacie.

My Friend Stacie 

Last October, we bought some puffy animal stickers from the dollar store to give to Trick-or-Treaters. We forgot about them, and they ended up in my purse. When I saw Stacie at church I thought about her love for animals and showed her the stickers. She smiled with delight when she looked at them, and when I told her she could keep them, she was ecstatic. She hugged me and said, "Thank you! I love you!"

Since then I have noticed that Stacie has a smile and an expression of love for everyone she knows. I am learning the true meaning of unconditional love from her example.

Several years ago, as part of a Relief Society assignment, I designed a questionnaire to learn more about the women in our ward. One of the questions we asked was "What do like to do most?" Stacie responded that what makes her happiest was "dancing to music and playing with puppies."

I learned a great lesson that day about finding joy in simple things. Now Stacie is teaching me that it feels good to laugh along with other people, even if you don't get the joke, and that it's okay to laugh alone if something tickles you in particular.
                
I asked Stacie to tell me what makes her mad. I could see that she was thinking hard to give me an answer. After a long pause, she said, "I can't think of anything. Oh, wait — commercials. Sometimes commercials make me mad."

Stacie's mother tells me that Stacie does get frustrated and annoyed sometimes, but she doesn't stay that way for long. She always turns back to her sunny happiness. She never holds a grudge.

Stacie is teaching me about acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness.

When Stacie was about twenty, she participated in the Special Olympics. During one memorable race, she pulled ahead of the other runners. For the first time ever, she had a chance to win. The crowd and bystanders cheered as the special athletes ran. Then Stacie saw some LDS missionaries at the side of the track. She moved toward them and stopped to shake each missionary's hand. Seeing her there, the other runners followed her and came to meet the missionaries. After every athlete had shaken every missionary's hand, they started running again    . . . and they crossed the finish line together.

Stacie helped those Special Olympians win their race. And a crowd of people learned a wonderful lesson that day about the unimportance of competitiveness and pride. 

I continue to learn about pure faith. Stacie knows her Heavenly Father loves her. She understands that He has a plan for her.

When Stacie was six weeks old, doctors advised her parents to put her into an institution. They seemed to feel that raising a child like Stacie would be a burden not worth bearing. Her parents rejected this idea and raised their daughter with the same unerring patience and love they showed their other children. Now, looking back, they say, "Imagine all the amazing things we would have missed if we had not brought Stacie home!" 

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When the Savior told us to become like little children, I don't think He meant we should try to make a bigger mess when we eat, or to forget to wipe our noses when they need wiping. I think He was telling us to be more like my friend Stacie — less judgmental, more hopeful, more full of wonder, more forgiving, more loving.



I am grateful to have Stacie as a friend. When I sometimes fall into the trap of self-pity, I think of the smile I always see on her face, and I remember that life is pretty good, after all. 


To learn more about Williams syndrome, click here.
To learn more about the Special Olympics program, click here.
To learn more about the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here.

To leave a comment on this post for Stacie, click Comments below.