Uncle Bill's in My Pocket

There is a man who lives in town whom I call Uncle Bill.

I have 3 fantastic uncles of my own, but Uncle Bill is like a bonus uncle.

I met him probably 15 years ago when he would take my friend's son to story hour at the library every Saturday morning in the summer. It was so cute, how he would put Christopher in the stroller and walk to the library. My friend would only be here for the summer months and then go back to Colorado for the rest of the year.

Even though Bill was Laurie's uncle, all of us called him Uncle Bill. Since then, I bump into him every so often around town. He has a wife he affectionately calls "Dragon Lady" and a grown son who lives near Boston. He must be around 80 and has had cancer and a stroke, but keeps on ticking. He has such an infectious smile and is so happy when he sees me that I have even gotten off a float in a parade to give him a hug.

He is one of the most upbeat people I know. Seriously, if you could take lessons from him in gratitude and kindness, it would change your life. I saw him in the grocery store yesterday and I hadn't seen him around since before Thanksgiving. He dropped his basket in front of the deli department and gave me the biggest hug. I asked him how things were going and he said, "So much better now that I have seen you today!".

That is the kind of person you want to keep in your pocket to give you a boost in self esteem whenever you need it. Do you have an Uncle Bill? Do you want to borrow mine?