" Happy Birthday Uncle Pit ....! Happy birthday to you !"

[many a good man]

This may sound pathetic to some, but those words are the highlight of my year. They are the words of the chorus I hear in my telephone answering machine every year on my birthday when my brother's seven children call me up to sing me Happy Birthday.

That's right, my older brother is a union man, big city policeman, Irish Catholic, with SEVEN kids. I am married, forty-six with no kids. My younger brother is gay and no kids. My five nephews and two nieces are my only connection to the next generation. They are the most incredibly excellent kids I've ever known.

I love 'em and only can see 'em about once a year. The oldest has graduated from the state university last year. I give him and will give each of his younger brothers and sisters $2500 a year for four years to pay for their college education. Because of my help, they will all be able to graduate from college with a BS or BA. It makes me feel good. They are grateful.

I'm sure my sister-in-law arranges the whole thing every year, but nevertheless, they sing like they mean it and their voices are angelic!

When I think of what it means to be a liberal, to be a Democrat, I think of the bonds that tie, I think of people helping each other out... starting with the family and spreading outwards.

I think what I'm fighting for, and what WE're all fighting for, is to create a human society, a network of human relationships, where we all try to help each other out. And what we see from helping each other out is that the effect gets multiplied! If we can only harness this thing and spread it around, we can overcome any challenge that comes our way!

And I really mean that!

TAP

[many a good man]

1. And I really mean that!

Not lying!

[many a good man]

2. By the way, I'm Pit .

Actually its Pat. Kinda the inverse of TAP. For my older bro and all of his kids I'm known as Pit. I was given that nickname by a guy named Matt. I started calling him Mit, but it never stuck. Pit did stick, so I'm Unca Pit to a bunch of kids.