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My nephew Tim

He is The Legal Genealogist‘s hero.

He is smart.

He is funny.

And he has the heart of a lion.

TimHe is my nephew Tim, and he is one of four family members recorded in my genealogy database with a birthday on May 5th.

And have I mentioned that he’s my hero?

He is an unrepentant Cubs fan, who will listen — start to finish — to every single game no matter where the Cubs stand… and he still isn’t completely sure that he believes they have won a World Series in his lifetime.

He is a Bears fan. A Bulls fan. A Blackhawks fan. A Chicago fan through and through.

And have I mentioned, lately, that he’s my hero?

He is a total card sharp. Do not ever play poker with this man. He will take your shirt while stealing your heart and making you laugh while he does it.

He is a Facebook addict. Letting him loose on the computer guarantees that you will (a) laugh and (b) lose a lot of time chasing down the links he posts.

Have I told you that he’s my hero?

He knows every song Taylor Swift has ever sung, word for word, and may be the world’s biggest Taylor Swift fan.

He is a loving son, loving brother, doting uncle of Martin (who has just turned four), a nephew and cousin to so many.

And have I mentioned yet — he’s my hero?

When Tim was born, there was every reason to believe he wouldn’t make it. A combination of spina bifida and hydrocephalus at that time offered a grim prognosis.

The sheer number of times over the years that his family has not known what the next day, the next hour, even the next minute would bring is staggering.

And time after time he has beaten the odds.

He has endured operations.

Years in a brace, and a wheelchair.

Hospitalization after hospitalization.

His life, of necessity, has been different from that of his peers.

And through it all — he has been smart.

And he has been funny.

And he has shown that he has the heart of a lion.

He is my nephew Tim.

And he is my hero.

Happy birthday, Tim! Many happy returns of the day!

Not just for you… but for all of us.

Because every day we have with you is a gift.