October 11th, 1993 I will remember always as the day my sweet Sammy came to us and changed our lives for the better! (As all of my children did!) Sammy however changed our lives by "getting in our face" about life! Out of all my children, Sammy is the only one that "stayed" with just me for 9 whole months! He started teaching all of us patients and love from the very first moments! He taught us to accept change and to adjust! And boy, did we need to adjust! Vince became a "single" father to Rhiannon, Vinnie and Donnie while I "lived" many months at St. Francis. He gave us many amazing friends and relatives that stepped up and helped with our daily lives. Then the really teaching began.....Sammy taught us that joy can be found anywhere you want it to be. Sammy taught us that we can do anything we decide to conquer. It took Sammy 4 years but he was determined to walk and then soon after we were forever looking for the "wanderer"! It took 2 years to learn to tie his shoes...TWO YEARS and he never got frustrated!! He was so proud of this. He taught us that love CAN and WILL win! He always insisted that hugs ended every disagreement! He loved God and wanted to celebrate his love for our Lord by going to mass and serving on the altar. It was never a "chore" for Sammy....He wanted to go! This humbled me and gave me a new joy while celebrating mass. He loved his family so much and let us know every minute of every day. He was so happy when he spent time with his best friend and nephew Marcus. What an amazing friendship they had. I loved it when he put his arm around Marcus and called him "buddy". Loving everyone was so easy for Sammy because his heart was always open! I know you are still loving us Sammy. We miss you and love you so much. Happy Birthday! Thank you God for such a wonderful gift.
It doesn't get any easier...we just get better at it.
