Sama
PSA: Skip to the end for Sama’s performance
My senior year of high school, Sama was in kindergarten. I was almost done, and she was just starting. Every morning, we’d walk to school together. Technically, I would walk. She would skip, jump or run the entire way, only stopping to buy the zaatar manoushe we shared for breakfast. By the time she would arrive to school, she was covered in sesame seeds, thyme and oil. We would make a stop at the bathroom to wash her hands and face before dropping her off in front of her classroom.
When I was accepted to Penn, she was my only hesitation. Going to Penn was a dream but it had a huge con: Sama wasn’t there. I couldn’t even remember what my life was like pre-Sama. I had chosen her name, I made her laugh for the first time, I held her hand when she took her first step, I taught her to count, how to hold a pen, how to tie her shoes, and what sounds animals make, I took her to her first day of school and to her first birthday party. And all of a sudden, I was leaving. A week before my flight, she asked if I could be her mom so that I couldn’t travel without her. I felt like I was betraying her. Since then, I stopped being this constant presence in her life and instead, only saw her for a couple of weeks every year.
Time doesn’t stop when you’re away. It just flies by and when you finally catch up, you’re shocked at how much has changed. Every time, I’d come back, I’d realize she grew a little taller, a little smarter and a little kinder. When I left, she barely knew the alphabet, and now she’s reading Harry Potter. When I left, she wrote her name wrong (AMAS) and now she can write paragraphs in English, Arabic and French. When I left, she didn’t know how to take a picture and now she has her own YouTube channel (11/10 would recommend).
In the past four months, my life was turned upside down but as a result, I was able to spend some extended time with Sama. She is now more infuriating than ever, but it means I am witnessing her grow up and for that I am eternally grateful.
When I left, she was my favorite person in the world, and I was hers. This is still true. It’s good to know that “some things never change” (reference video below).
