02 | January | 2012 | "You Jivin' Me, Turkey?"

Since Today, January 1st, Is My Nephew Ari Grey’s 9th Birthday, I Sincerely Wanted to Do Something VERY Special For Him.

I’d Been Promising Him For YEARS That, One-Day, He Would Get My Collection of “Command Coins” from My Ole NAVY Days.

I Had 5 of Them.

The Most Important One, to Me, Was My “Secretary Of Defense: William Cohen” Coin, which was Presented to Me When He Came Aboard My Ship (The U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln CVN-72) in 2000, and I was able to have a Quick Sit-Down-And-Chat with Him.

I’m Always Telling Mr. Ari Grey that He Is MUCH MORE Mature AND Responsible than Any Child I’ve Ever Encountered.

So, Tonight, I Decided to “Make-Good” on My Promise, and I Gave Him The Coins.
I Told Him I KNEW He Was Old Enough AND Mature Enough to Keep Them AND Take Good Care of Them.

Honestly, I Will Miss Having The Coins For Myself…
…But I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER That They’ve Been Passed-On to Someone Who Can Love Them Just The Same.

And He’ll Always Have Something VERY Special to Look At And Say, “These Were My Uncle Brad’s, and He Gave Them To Me For My Birthday. Pretty Cool, eh?!?!”

In My Mind…
…That’s PRICELESS.
PERIOD.