~live, laugh, love~

Jesse Mae Leggitte
5 Aug 36 - 25 May 08

On August 5, 1936, Jesse and Everline Powell gave birth to the eldest of their five daughters, Jessie Mae Powell Leggitte. Jessie was very opinionated and outspoken. She was loved and respected for her no non-sense character.   If a person said something in the presence of Jessie and she did not agree with it, they would be told exactly how she felt, and then she would feed them (the entire time rolling her eyes and tooting her nose). If you look up live, laugh, and love, you would find a picture of Jesse Mae Powell Leggitte!

Growing up, Auntee was more like my grandmother. Last year, I remember writing a poem to her, “What You Mean to Me”. I needed my daughters to understand my relationship with the woman I simply called, “Auntee” . In the poem, I stated, “you were my Mon!” My daughters (all the nephews and nieces) call my Mahm, “MON”. To them Mon equates to Grandma. I watch my Mahm with them, they have their own bond. She cuddles with them…laughs and talks with them…spoils them…and allows them to get away with little things I could never get away with. That was Auntee! She named me; she doted on me; she fussed over me; she fussed at me; she guided me; directed me; SHE LOVED ME!

She was such a great teacher for me! That teaching goes beyond my eye rolling and love for guns; even my cursing and no non-sense attitude! I have the ability to find positives in all negative situations,  I possess tough love, the desire to help others reach their full potential, and I love my family, but will tell them how I feel about any and all and keep it moving!

I loved her bond with her husband, daughter, her sons, her grands, her sisters, her friends, her co-workers, and her community. Most of all I loved her relationship with my Mahm and with me! She was my Mahm’s big sissy, counselor, fashion police, body guard, and partner in comics! There was no TV show better than the live stage show of Jessie and Lula! So many people wonder why I use “so is the bear!” and “so is the pope!”, and my honest answer is because Auntee and Mahm used them (sadly today I still don’t know what they mean). Auntee and Mahm would sit, talk, and laugh until they cried.

As I type this dedication, I see Mahm trying to get through a joke, but she laughs too hard at her own jokes and I can see Auntee ~you have to know this look~ looking at Mahm with that, “you really make me sick” look. It was a half-smile, half-hurry up! While Mahm’s head is tossed back laughing, Auntee would say, “Awe shit; you messing up the joke, Lula!” My Mahm would laugh so hard, then Auntee would start laughing and take over the jokes. Thanks to them, I know that people can get ugly crying. Ugly to the fact that “they look like a bear eating cornbread”! I know and understand that no one is ugly, it is “just habit for them to look the way they look”.

My Mahm, Lula & My Auntee Jessie

Auntee would fuss my daughter, Kennedi, out for playing with her figurines on the fireplace! When Kennedi would pout, Auntee would roll her eyes and tell her to, “shut up!” Then she would turn to me, do the silent hand clap, left her legs up in “her chair", and laugh. I would say, “Not nice, Auntee!” She would roll her eyes and I immediately got angry with myself because once AGAIN, I had to hear which child gave her which figurine, “Ricky, Chrissy, Michael Charles, Anita, or “my baby” Timmy Ray!  Then Auntee would tell Kennedi she could play with one of the non-breakable figures over by the fish aquarium. Aw, that is too precious! However, Kennedi is like me and would say, “NO!” Her feelings were hurt and Auntee would say, “I don’t care with your spoil self!” Roll her eyes and make Kennedi give her a hug. Then Kennedi would go get a figure/toy, and Auntee would say, “I thought you didn’t want to play with anything!” ~I’m so laughing right now~.

Before I could get back to Mahm’s house, Auntee already had called  her and told her everything that happened and everything we talked about. Yes, I would confide things in Auntee that I didn’t tell my Mahm.

My last time seeing Auntee was November 2007. We came home to visit for Thanksgiving. We were sitting  in her room. Uncle HB and Kendol came with Kendol’s car. They decided Kendol needed a car versus the SUV due to the rise in gas prices. She sent my husband out to look at Kendol’s car with him. Then she talked to me about my marriage, my health, my Mahm, and a few more personal issues that needed to be addressed. I felt as if she knew this would be our last face-to-face talk. I cried; she cried; she held me! I can still see Phil’s face as he walked back to the room, she told him, “Take care of her!” and started asking about how he likes the color of Kendol’s car like our conversation never took place.

I cried so hard! When we got to Mahm’s I was still crying and she said, “Jessie Mae didn’t mean to upset you, Girl. That’s just how she is!” She smiled to try to comfort me, but I still felt empty.

I called Auntee every Sunday like I had been doing since I left Alabama in 2006. On May 25^th of 2008, my sister called me. I had overslept and was late calling Auntee so I told her I was just getting dressed. She informed me Auntee had died! I had not called her. I felt awful. I felt empty.

As I waited for my children to get home, I went to my closet to get JesseBear and the picture of Auntee and me he held in his arms.  I kept him in a plastic bag to keep his scent—he smelled like her house. Auntee gave me JesseBear when I was little! I took him to visit here when I was living in Montgomery! She could not believe I still had him. My greatest regret is I took meds to calm myself and forgot to put JesseBear up and he lost his scent, but I still have some things that are priceless: her guidance, her teachings, and her love! All I know is, if I am half the sister, wife, mother, Auntee, and godmother to my siblings, spouse, children, and nieces and nephews that Auntee was, I’m a very special lady who is loved unlimited.

I miss you today, Auntee. I missed you yesterday and I will miss you tomorrow!