March 17th will forever hold a very special place in my heart, and not for the reasons you probably think. I love Irish soda bread, especially when the raisins are soaked in rum and the baker intentionally decided to opt out of the traditional caraway seed add-in. But what makes March 17th extraordinary for me is the fact that Sam Witt came into our world on this day, 15 years ago.

Being Jewish, I never had a reason one way or the other to feel particularly connected to St. Patrick’s Day. But, when you have a baby on Ireland’s #1 day, well, you pretty much automatically become a fellow Irishman. And so, with a nod to my ‘other people’, four leaf clovers, that mischievous little leprechaun & all things green, here’s a little happy birthday tribute to Slammy.

Those cheeks.

That body.

Ready for action.

You & your bro.

You & your sister.

You’ve never been a big eater.

You’re always grumpy.

You’ve always had a thing for hats.

Lacrosse. No Big Deal.

This is how we roll.

Always scared to try new things.

So, you have a hard time getting back to me because you never have your phone on you? Got it.

Nothing to see here…

Sam – thanks for keeping it fun, keeping it unexpected, and keeping it, um, active.

xoxoxo