Trauma - Live or Die?

On a cold winter night, January 18, 1965, during the Vietnam Era—a time when people were often judged based on the color of their skin—a child named Sam Lawson was born. Sam had loving and respectable parents. However, would their care and affection come to an end for him?

 

Samuel Lawson, Sam’s father, comes from a Christian family that upholds high values and love. His mother, Tonya Lawson, also hails from a family with strong Christian values; her father is a preacher, and her mother enjoys making quilts and cooking.

 

When Sam was between the ages of one and four, he was sent to live with his grandparents in Savannah, Georgia. At that young age, Sam was too small to understand why he could not be with his mother and father. To this day, his parents and grandparents have not explained to him the reasons for this separation.

 

During his time with his grandparents, Sam tried to make the best of the situation. He accompanied them to church every Sunday, where he listened to his grandfather preach the scriptures. Each visit to church reminded him of a particular event that held a special significance in his young life.

 

When Sam's grandfather was preaching at the pulpit, Sam would often run up to him, take his hand, and stand by his side. Sometimes, Sam would wander around the stage while his grandfather spoke. These moments filled his grandparents with pride and joy, leading them to envision a future where Sam might follow in his grandfather's footsteps as a preacher. The question remains: will Sam choose to pursue this path laid out by his grandparents? Only time will tell.

 

During his stay with his grandparents, Sam has only a few friends, as the neighborhood mostly consists of senior citizens living on a dead-end dirt road. To pass the time, Sam helps his grandmother tend to her garden and collects tadpoles from the sewage drain in front of their house. His grandmother teaches at a nearby school, and Sam enjoys watching her grade papers, often attempting to assist her as much as he can.

 

Sam cherishes every moment spent with his grandparents. When there are no chores left for him to do, his grandfather takes him to his workplace, where he shows Sam the boat he works on and the other fishing boats as well. Sam is fascinated by what he sees. This is how Sam spends the first few years of his life away from his parents, remaining unaware of their existence or what it is like to have siblings or anyone else to show him love besides his grandparents. This situation continues for at least three years.  When Sam's grandfather was preaching at the pulpit, Sam would often run up to him, take his hand, and stand by his side. Sometimes, Sam would wander around the stage while his grandfather spoke. These moments filled his grandparents with pride and joy, leading them to envision a future where Sam might follow in his grandfather's footsteps as a preacher. The question remains: will Sam choose to pursue this path laid out by his grandparents? Only time will tell.

 

During his stay with his grandparents, Sam has only a few friends, as the neighborhood mostly consists of senior citizens living on a dead-end dirt road. To pass the time, Sam helps his grandmother tend to her garden and collects tadpoles from the sewage drain in front of their house. His grandmother teaches at a nearby school, and Sam enjoys watching her grade papers, often attempting to assist her as much as he can.

 

Sam cherishes every moment spent with his grandparents. When there are no chores left for him to do, his grandfather takes him to his workplace, where he shows Sam the boat he works on and the other fishing boats as well. Sam is fascinated by what he sees. This is how Sam spends the first few years of his life away from his parents, remaining unaware of their existence or what it is like to have siblings or anyone else to show him love besides his grandparents. This situation continues for at least three years.

 

Is this the type of lifestyle Sam should experience as a child? Sam came into this world as a desired child, with parents who wanted to care for him. So why did he have to seek love from others instead of from the parents who brought him into this life? These questions, among many others, remain unanswered even to this day.

 

Sam is about four or five years old and has been returned to his mother, who now lives in Massachusetts. His parents have finally divorced while he was away. Sam only knows bits and pieces about the divorce, as his mother tells him one version of events while his father shares another. Sam has always believed his mother.

 

His father now resides in the D.C. area, and as Sam grows older, he learns that the divorce was due to his father's problems with drinking, smoking, and gambling. Sam's mother, Tonya Lawson, couldn't get him to change, which led to her decision to leave him and file for divorce. She chose to return to her hometown, where her parents and siblings lived, and start a new life.