Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
Thamani Roxanne Smith and her father, Fred Smith, in New York recently. - CONTRIBUTED
WESTERN BUREAU:
IT IS said that daughters attach themselves to their fathers more than sons do. In Thamani Roxanne Smith's case, that sentiment is true.
Smith, a litigator with the law firm, Joan Flowers and Associates in Manhattan, New York, is 25 and already has two undergraduate degrees in economics and mathematics and a juris doctorate graduate degree.
She doesn't care for the word 'influence', as, in her mind, it suggests control, but she admitted eventually that her father, Montego Bay transportation mogul, Fred Smith's involvement in her life has had significant impact on what and who she is today.
"A good parent uses his/her lifetime journey as a lesson to subtly influence children in the avoiding pitfalls and to help them be the best they can be. My dad is a good parent, he had a vision for himself and he wanted the same for his children," she said with admiration.
"And to Flair's question, did dad influence her to be the person she is today? Absolutely!" she said.
So, who is the dad behind Fred Smith?
"It is known that he has many children and I must say that each of our journeys with him has been substantially different. Being the firstborn, due to my mother's influence, I spent the most time with him."
She said she was lucky to be with her dad for more of her life than many children, especially in a society where mothers play the dominant role in child-rearing and fathers are often absent.
At age six, she went to live with him, then three years later returned to mother, Yvonne Wright, an institutional manager at the National Commercial Bank's Baywest Centre in Montego Bay.
Although she lived with her mother, she never missed a weekend or summer holiday with her father. It came as no surprise to her mother when she again moved in with her father while a fourth form student at the Montego Bay High School. Many children often complain that parents do not take them anywhere; on the other hand, Smith's complaint was that she did not get a chance to stay home.
