I am Sam (thought paper)

            It was the first time that I have watched this movie. Even at the beginning, the movie already captured a pinch in my heart. It showed that the character is very passionate and enthusiastic in his work. He makes everyone’s morning happier. His smile and his greeting add a little more sunshine in every customer’s mood.  The next scene shocked me. I didn't expect the woman will leave her at such a short period of time. However, I think I know what the woman felt. She thinks that her life will just be more ruined if she stays with Sam and their daughter. Despite the understanding I have for the woman, the pity I felt for Sam is just greater. He is just so clueless in raising a child. With the help of his neighbor, Annie, he was able to raise the child in her first seven years smoothly. Being a daddy’s girl, I was easily touched by the plot even I was only presented with the first part yet. It made me cry during the swing scene; when the child is beginning to know the world; starting to be curious. It reminded me so much of myself and my time with my father. I was a lot like that before, and even until now. I have lots of questions, and those question and answer portions seemed to be my bonding time with my dad. I developed an admiration and amazement towards my father that time. I was amazed because he seemed to know so much about the world. I was astounded because he can answer all of my questions! I cried in that particular part of the film because it made me remember the days that I am still so innocent. I was happy that my father was one of my first teachers. Like Sam, my dad is very loving and ever understanding. He listens to me with so much attention most of the time and constantly shares about his experiences too. That part of the film made me miss my father so much. It is just sad to know that Lucy couldn't barely experience the same because soon enough --sooner than I had, she will need to learn more than what her father could teach her. 

            Lucy was a very understanding and a very bright child. I thought her father’s condition was very clear to her and that she accepts it very well. I expected that her intelligence and early maturity will not cause her to be ashamed of her father, but I was wrong. It made me realize that no matter how we love our father, there will always be a time that we will be ashamed of them, esp. in front of our friends. Regardless if it is because of his mental incapability, or in our case, his over protection,  his taste of clothing, his ignorance in modern technology, and etc. Another reality that this movie showed was, no matter how we dump our father, at the end of the day, we will regret it and think that we shouldn't have forsaken them in anyway.

          I relate my character with Lucy so much. Maybe because we are both close to our fathers and we both are very inquisitive and curious about the world. There was also a time when I was ashamed of my dad because he was being humiliated by my mother. But as I grew up, I realized that the character of my dad is just so good that he will out-stand every unpleasant word thrown to him. Not that I don't love my mother --I love my mother of course, it is just that there are times that my mother can't guard her mouth and was able to say things that are not very pleasant for a daughter to hear. Same as Lucy, there was also a time that I was mad at my father for leaving the house for months. I was mad at him because I thought he didn't even think of us when he left. He tried to fill the times we are apart by secretly fetching us from school and treat us to movies and have our hair cut from expensive salons. I have worried with my father's money because he is not earning that much. My father and I text at night and talk about our lives. After a few months, my dad won my trust and rapport again. I asked him to promise me he'll go back at home and make amendments with my mom at Christmas. I was happy that he did as he promised; he is very trustworthy.

           Most importantly, I think the movie displayed, through the comparison of Rita's relationship with her son and Sam's relationship to her daughter,  values that only an excellent parent can teach his child; that a mentally retarded person can unwittingly teach but a normal person can hardly recognize and manifest in himself/herself --the value of honesty, the capacity to love and empathy to all kinds of people. Not that only mentally disabled people are the only ones capable of doing those things, but sometimes normal people are just so preoccupied with many matters in this world that they forget to go back to the fundamentals of life.