Thank you to the Uncle Georges of the world!

Do you have one of those people in your life that kind of floats under the radar, but always seems to be there when you need them?

If you don't, then I feel bad for you.

I do. His name is George.

To be clear, he's really "Uncle" George, my mom's brother, but I can't ever recall a day when I've used that title. George is one of those laid-back kind of guys that never seems to be stressed; an old-schooler that rarely answers his cell or home phone, even if it's ringing off the hook.

George and I have always had a great relationship, in my opinion, because we are both middle kids. He may not think it's a big deal, but throughout the years he's been my go-to guy for several reasons:

• He hosted my college graduation party in his back yard and manned the grill the entire time. The only time he left his "station" was to wish me well when the cake came out and move some chairs into the garage when rain threatened.

• One summer (or was it two?) during college he loaned me his prized possession: a white four-door Peugeot. That car got me back and forth to two temporary jobs and countless trips to Fred's Shanty and Michael's Dairy.

• Every year of college, in the beginning of each semester, he stopped by my house with an envelope. That gift allowed me to buy (fairly) new books from the student store, which was far better than the heavily highlighted versions most students had to work with.

George is hilarious to me, in an off-the-beaten-path kind of way. He always drives the posted speed limit, no matter the time of day or night. He's always pimping a leisurely walk, kind of like Andy Dufresne strolling through the prison yard in "The Shawshank Redemption."

And he allows me to greet him in Spanish whenever he picks up the phone (still can't remember why I started doing that!).

He still calls me "kid" but more often it's "dear," which always makes me smile. He's the man who would have walked me down the aisle if my dad wasn't around.

I wish everyone had a George in their life. Maybe during this week of Thanksgiving celebrations, you'll find he's (or she's) been there all along.