Year 2012 in Review: Samantha Becomes a Whompton (Again)

Krystal and Samantha are sisters; we’re four years apart in age, which mattered a whole lot when I was in middle school and she was in elementary school, but didn’t matter at all by the time I was in high school.  Over time, we became very good friends because we had so much in common, and she frequently hung out with my friends and me.  We grew up in Owensboro, KY, which is a fine place, but one that we both were eager to leave after high school graduation.  I won’t speak for Samantha, but I never felt like I fit in Owensboro and I was overjoyed to move on.  I departed for Saint Louis and Washington University; four years later, Samantha left for Centre College in Danville, KY.  We got our degrees, married straight out of college, and then stayed in our respective college towns. 

Time passed …. and then Samantha and her husband split up.  Eric and I convinced her to join us in Saint Louis; she moved in and we never looked back.  At first glance, most people assumed the worst about our situation – that all adults were miserably coexisting in some terrible black comedy.  That’s not true at all.  She was neither a charity case nor forced servitude; instead, she was an integral member of the family and we loved having her here.  She, Raina, and Lola fostered an incredibly close relationship; I gained a best friend in the house; Samantha grew into an empowered, beautiful adult.  The situation was rather wonderful all around.

Eventually, Samantha decided to move out and live on her own, which was bittersweet for all of us.  We designated Sunday “Samantha day,” and we’d go to the Zoo or she’d come to dinner or she’d read books to the kids …  It never felt like enough time together, but we made do.  Then Samantha decided she wanted to move back closer to us so she could see us more often.  She took a second job and started working roughly 70-80 hour weeks to save up money so she could buy a house in our neighborhood.  We went from seeing each other every Sunday to rarely seeing each other at all.  In a word, it was terrible. 

After many conversations, we all agreed that it would be better to have Samantha back here at the Whompton abode then any alternative we could brainstorm.  She and Roxanne moved back in October and it’s been fantastic.  The transition was so smooth, the girls love having her back, Lola especially loves having a dog in the house and Roxanne seems puppy-like in her enthusiasm as well.  Eric, Samantha, and I plan to be together for the long haul – until retirement and beyond! – and I’m looking forward to our many years together.