I am the oldest of four, each of us five years apart, with a twenty-year age gap between my youngest sister and me. People have been mistaking me for the nanny for most of my life. Our home was bubbling with activity, yet our parents taught us the importance of slowing down with a power-nap or a warm bath, and a good book.

When I was cut from the ballet troupe at eleven, I was inspired to write about my feelings, and my book; Susie & the Ballet Teacher was published at the Belmont Public Library. We moved to the South, and I continued to use my pen and paintbrush to express myself.

I was pen-pals throughout high school and college with a boy I met in sixth-grade homeroom. Todd spun some impressive breakdance moves at recess and his energy was infectious. We were friends for eleven years before they turned into love letters.

Twenty-four years later, we live in Massachusetts even though I swore I would never live in the cold. We have two sons, went through the heartache of losing my father, helped my mother battle cancer twice, and rescued our own amazing dog, Simba.  Todd, Tyler, and Mason are the monkeys in my beautiful circus.   Now that Tyler is at U.V.M. and Mason is a sophomore in high school, our tent resembles a fraternity house.  

Is it coincidental that my middle name is JOY?  Today my “JOY” shines brightly through my Sunny Side newspaper column, and uplifting social media accounts,  inspiring others to add a little dash of creativity into their daily life.

Looking forward to connecting with you,

Sami