HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DENNIS!

Every now and then, I get to wish someone special a “Happy Birthday”. Although belated because of our trip to Sedona, Arizona (It rhymes), this one goes to Dennis, TLW’s (The Little Woman’s) youngest brother.

I’ve known Dennis a long time, and he is one of those guys that loves to laugh and he’s a great story teller. He is the father of three handsome young men, and a grandfather many times. But what makes Dennis special? Is it the work he does for the mentally disabled? Is it the psychotherapy he administered to people in trouble? Maybe it is the devout faith he has in God. No, they may contribute, but it is in his very being to care. He cares about everyone he knows, and tries to help where and when he can. He is generous and helpful. Good traits to have if you want friends for life. He is TLW in a man’s shoes.

Married to Angela, my compatriot in all things Italian in an Irish family, she too is of a kind that matches perfectly. When I first met Dennis, he was just married, and spent his time asking me about myself, never talking about what he did while being very warm to me. I didn’t forget that. When he lived in Utica, he would come down to visit and bring me a case or two of my favorite beer.

He can light up a room when he enters, and leave it lit long after he left it. I think he and his older sister Maureen share the same laugh gene. Both have the gift of gab.

Over the years, I’ve grown fond of him and his family and hope that he can prosper in his new life in Virginia, where the temperature is like him, warmer than Utica.

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