Samantha aka "Sammy Wammy", "Red" or  "Rouge"… Samantha is my youngest daughter. After she read the blog I had written about her sisterMelissa, she wondered if I had planned on writing about her as well........ This blog is written with a great deal of pressure to insure I capture the very essence of how wonderful my youngest daughter Samantha truly is. I am sure she would have offered to write it herself and allow me the opportunity to sign it with my name; however I am certain I might be able to embellish with some kind and flattering words about her.

While I was pregnant with Samantha, around 5 months I began hemorrhaging and ultimately I was told I was having a miscarriage. I did however, since I had been carrying twins, I lost her brother. I was told that I would most likely lose her as well. ....I carried her full term. The moment I went into labour with her, I was prepared to accept that it may not happen. After 27 hours in labour she was born, PERFECT, I might add. The most perfectly beautiful tiny little baby ever. With in seconds of finding out it was another girl there was silence, no usual cries from a new born baby, I turned mt head to my left and I saw my spouse begin to cry. I looked straight ahead to see this baby stretch and yawn, no tears! She looked unenthused about being woken from a great sleep. I then noticed she had the most perfect head of red hair. I instantly called her Samantha.

Samantha very rarely cried in fact she was and still is very timid and quiet. Samantha refused to speak to any man until she was around 5, yes that includes her own father. She would simply point to what she wanted or would recruit one of her older sisters to get what she needed. My poor father would hold her and she would position herself on his lap perfectly aligned to insure she could not see his face. Samantha went to bed exactly when I told her, ate all her food, and never refused to do as she was told. I never recall having to reprimand her for anything.  

When she was small she was obsessed with literature, of any kind, flyers, papers, and business cards even old lottery tickets. She would literally carry a cloth bag every where she went. She was always picking these items up and placing them in her bag. One time I was shopping at Zehrs, I was busy placing the groceries on the conveyor belt, the cashier turned to me and made a derogatory comment about “this kid” in the garbage, I turn to see this child that she was referring to , and there is Samantha feet hanging out of a garbage can. She had pushed a chair from the food court up to the garbage can so that she could retrieve a freshly scratched flashy lottery ticket. I stood in amazement at the lengths she would go to get what she wanted. Once she retrieved the lottery ticket she backed herself out of the can and waved at me with her prize. Smile ear to ear, so proud of herself.

Samantha would always ask to do things around the house, and always wanted to be a big girl. I often said no to her. She wanted to take her own showers, I told her when she was a big girl she could. She wanted to cut her own meat, I told her when she was a big girl she could do it all by herself. She wanted to ride her own bike; I made her sit in the cart behind mine. I guess I never wanted her to grow up. I just always wanted to do everything for her. J.K graduation, big production at the school, parents, grand parents… Patrick and I went to the school to watch our baby “graduate” from J.K. The teacher had arranged large building blocks in the classroom so that the children could step up on them as a stage. The teacher asked the children to stand on the block and answer some questions. The first boy ahead of Samantha , was asked by the teacher “What do want to do when you grow up?” He replied “I want to be a fire fighter”. Everyone clapped.

Samantha got to the top of the blocks, she looked over at Pat and I. She smiled, held her hands and began to swing back and forth. She took her foot and planted her tip toes into the block. Her red hair in pig tails, spiral curls, Osh Gosh Jump suit, flowered tights. Just a perfect little sweet angel. The teacher asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up.

Samantha paused and seemed to go into a deep train of thought. Pat and I looked at each other and wondered if she would say anything, as she was so shy. A couple of moments passed, she looked up and glared into Patrick’s eyes, we knew her response was to be good, as she looked very proud of herself. She took a deep breath and said “When I grow up I am going to drink beer and smoke cigarettes”……COMPLETE SILENCE ……no one clapped! The look on Pats face ….I nearly peed my pants.

I couldn’t believe how proud she was of her response! Here is this little girl who is never allowed to do anything on her own, so she figured she would tell everyone some thing BIG, and besides, the teacher said what to do want to DO when you grow up not what do want to BE…..

Samantha as I know her now, a beautiful teenage girl that is very creative, her literary abilities are second to none. She photographs the most amazing moments, and captures the very essence of life. She writes poetry and stories that are meaningful and always have a message of reason. She truly understands the real meaning of self love and promotion. She encourages not only herself but everyone she meets to love them selves and to be proud of how they look.

Samantha is the youngest which in all families the youngest means, the last…so in this case I saved the best for last!

Future Beer Drinking Cigarette Smoker!