No matter what anyone says about you...

Have you ever sat in the dentist's chair and have them start asking you questions? How the heck do you talk with all that Novocaine and those cotton swabs they use to absorb the saliva? What may be even more amazing is the dentist's ability to understand all that gibberish and make heads or tails out of it. Does any of this sound familiar? Well, for me, I had to answer some pretty tough questions when I sat in that "electric chair" because when I was young, my dentist was none other than my very own Uncle.

When we were kids, my siblings and I would head to Humphrey St. for a little grilling and drilling at the hand of my Uncle. He had a beautiful office overlooking the ocean which provided a much needed distraction from the purpose of our visit. We usually did this in December when our parochial school was out for the December 8th, feast day of the Immaculate Conception. Usually, he did this over his lunch break, so there wasn't always time for the Novocaine. It toughened us up, I guess.

There were several things I remember quite vividly about those trips to Swampscott, but it remains the admonishments that came our way that I recall most. There was one that stands out above the others where he'd say with his finger pointed right at me and his jaw clenched, "No matter what anyone says about you, YOU'RE A GREAT KID." My paranoia always had me wondering what people were saying, but as I have aged, I now realize what the real message was behind those words.

As my Uncle celebrates his four score and then some birthday today, I just want to thank him for the immeasurable contribution he has made to my life, to the lives of all my siblings, and the great nieces and nephews. In the words of Sister Sledge, "we are fam-i-ly". He and my Aunt have literally been just that to us. I am sure I speak for all of us as I clench my jaw, point my finger and say, "No matter what anyone says about you, YOU'RE A GREAT UNCLE." Happy Birthday PJM!