Remembrance of Samantha by: Autumn Willingham, Samantha's Friend
Over the past 11 years I've known Sam and the past 8 years I've been able to call
her a best friend have come some very unforgettable memories, I'd love to share
them all with you but we would be here for days. The best memories I have with
Sam would probably have to be the week she spent with me and my family at the
beach. All 25 or so of us, she only knew about 5 of us beforehand but by the end
of the week she got to know them and they got to know and love her. She even
got a new boyfriend 3 year old Noah, he loved digging in the sand with her and
got really into collecting seashells, so she would run out into the water, grab a
handful and bring them back to shore for him. That week had so many crazy
times. The second night there we got a big storm in the evening, so of course me,
Sam and the other kids see it rolling in and decide to run onto the beach, the
beach patrol looked at us like we were crazy and made us leave. We went back to
a house with no power so all the girls just sat in the sunroom and talked for hours,
we didn't even notice when the power came back on. That week consisted of
early mornings and long hours on the beach, too late nights roaming the
boardwalk 'till it closed. Us girls got the bright idea one evening to climb up the
lifeguard stand, it was all good we sat up there and talked and watched people
boogie board. But then we started to move and down went the lifeguard stand
with us on it, we were all okay but boy did we have a good laugh about it. One
late night on the beach me and Sam saw this crowd of people and lots of noise, so
we ran right over to find a group of guys catching sharks from the shore, it was
awesome to see, we stayed and watched for a while and would go back every
night to see if they were back but we never found them. Me and her were the
only ones in the house to see it so we ran back and told everyone they hardly
believed us till we showed them pictures. Many evenings consisted of beach
volleyball in the backyard and of course Sam showed us all up easily. Sam also
took the boys by surprise when she beat them all one by one at ping pong. That
week me and Sam had our first Fractured Prune experience, being a food lover it
was perfect for her (For those that have never been there they are the best
donuts in the world, she thought so, so they had to be.) That week was probably
the best time I ever had with her. Sam is the best friend a person could ask for, I
could talk to her about anything and everything, I could trust her not to tell a soul.
Her fearless and adventurous free spirit made every time you hung out with her
or even talked to her an adventure within itself, you never knew what was coming
next. I admired that about her. Sam will always hold a special place in our hearts.
I will cherish the memories forever. I honestly feel bad for the people that did not
get to have a relationship with her like me and so many others had, it's certainly
one of a kind. But whether she knew you well or not she would be able to talk to
you and put a smile on your face, it was her specialty. Sam's goal in life was to
make a difference in this world and I know she accomplished that by making a
difference in every single person's life that she encountered. The best part is she
did it without thinking, she did it by being herself. I cannot thank her enough for
everything she has done for me, I am so blessed to have had her in my life, she
has changed my life for the better.
You will never be forgotten, words cannot describe how much I love and miss you
Samantha. See you soon.
