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Happy Birthday To Max, Ellie & Matt

February 2016 is a month of significant birthdays in my world. No offense to Washington and Lincoln, their days are important too, but the birthdays in my family take precedence over presidents.On February 20th, my youngest son Max turned twenty-one years old. He’s come a long way from his tumultuous arrival into this world 21 years ago on a snowy February morning in the emergency room of the New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham. He was born on a Monday President’s Day holiday making the day even more special. He was also born one month earlier than expected. He’s always been ahead of his time. As a baby, he barely crawled. One day he just stood up and started walking. A short time later he was riding a two-wheeler. There were no training wheels on Max’s bike; he never needed them. His difficult middle-school experiences turned to triumph by the time he reached high-school. He excelled in the Stoneham Jazz Ensemble under the guidance of Mr. Grammer. Max will be a senior at Berklee College of Music in September, where his love for improvisational jazz has become his focus. His dream of becoming a music instructor has already been realized. In March he will begin teaching jazz courses for Brookline’s Adult Education Program. Max claims he doesn’t like to celebrate his birthday but that’s fine . His mother and I will always celebrate for him. We are thankful for every moment we share with this incredibly talented young man.

This weekend also marked the 30th birthday of my godchild Matthew Scott. Thirty years ago my wife and I were blessed to become godparents of this amazing child. Matthew is from a close-knit Portuguese family. It was quite an honor to be welcomed into their world. Welcomed is an understatement. I was sincerely touched when I learned my godchild's middle name was Scott. It took me a long time to believe he was actually named after me. Matthew entertained my wife and I every visited his hometown of New Bedford. Our godchild has always been special to us. We were stunned when we heard news of a horrific car accident almost took his life when he was just sixteen. He fought hard to come back and thanks to his positive attitude, he made it. Today he works as a counselor for troubled youths helping them overcome problems of their own. I'm very proud of Matthew Scott and the man he has become. If we could only keep him away from motorcycles we’d all rest a little easier.

On Tuesday, my granddaughter Eliana Rose celebrated her first birthday. She was born one year ago on Academy Award Sunday, at the stroke of midnight just as the Oscar was presented to Birdman for Best Picture. I was at the hospital for her birth. When I held her in my arms, I looked down at her and forgot all about award shows. I realized a star was born right before my eyes. I’ve been watching her ever since, amazed at her first steps, her first words, her singing, her dancing. This tiny little soul has filled my heart with so much love it is immeasurable, even though she’s only been a member of my family for a short time. Her beauty leaves me at a loss for words, and that’s something that never happens to me. Ever.

These three people are all the proof I need that miracles dohappen. To a small extent, I feel I have helped shape their lives. They have no idea of the profound influence they’ve had on mine. May all their birthday wishes come true.