(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) One of the many things I love about my dear city of Somerville is the strength of the family unit. We have some great families in this city and they are constantly growing and getting stronger.

Due to a family crisis that is now hopefully pretty much under control, some members of my family recently banded together to create a support unit – that's what we do. Cousins, aunts and our family patriarch – Uncle Carl – snapped into action and the lines of communication were established.

We formed what was called by one cousin a "blanket" of support. The family was there to comfort and supply strength in the time of need.

This is nothing new to our family and unfortunately hospitals seem to be a common meeting place for us lately. Just as we have been blessed with lots of good health, decent luck and general prosperity, we have also had our fair share of sadness and loss of loved ones prematurely.

This family of mine can assemble faster than the National Guard. Once a substantial contingent of us are together, that special feeling of togetherness forms a loving bond.

I spent an afternoon with a bunch of aunts, an uncle and a few cousins in one of the family rooms at a local hospital. I actually had two aunts on two different floors of the same hospital at the same time. We were there for morale and support. We were there because we are a family. We enjoy each other's company in good times and lean on each other in bad times. I think that is the very essence of the family concept – we just do what we have to do.

There is always one family member who is the "spokesman." That is the one person who gets to the bottom of all the technical medical stuff and explains it to the rest of us. That spokesman happens to me my daughter Nikki. It used to be my cousin Joey until we lost him. Nikki is in the medical field, as was Joey, so they know how to cut through some of the red tape and medical jargon. There is always going to be a family crisis (in every family) and it's that time when we all pull together. We remember the days when there were a Hell of a lot more of us. We remember the days when we were all young and fast-moving. While we were sitting in that family room in the hospital we brought up old stories that made us all chuckle and eased the tension a bit. Inside we are still those little kids who were always together over grandma's house. We were picking grapes and eating gooseberries while grandpa smoked his cigar and proudly enjoyed his grandkids. I remember when my oldest cousin turned 16 and it was a huge deal. That cousin just recently turned 60! While we were in that family room at the hospital, one aunt called the other aunt on a cell phone and they filled each other in on their conditions. Then other cousins and aunts called to check in. As we were going from one aunt's room to the other, we bumped into three more family members in the lobby.

Hopefully in the near future our family gatherings will be back at our favorite spots like: Not Your Average Joe's, Kelly's, Applebee's, and not your average hospital.

But no matter where the family gathers, you can bet there will be wisecracks, jokes, reminiscing, and a lot of support and love. We have banded together in the good times and in the bad times. Whatever the situation calls for, there are a ton of us coming out of the woodwork. We snap into family mode in a hurry! We form carpools, lines of communication, and do what is needed. We are no strangers to medical dilemmas.

Nikki has been driving back and forth from Rhode Island making sure things are going the right way. Boy, would her mother be proud of her – we sure are.

Somerville is full of strong families and when we need to, we band together and take care of business.

Life throws us curves, tosses monkey wrenches into our routines, and hands us unheard of grief. All we can do is stay close to our loved ones and hope for the best.

So feel free to keep my aunts in your thoughts and prayers, and I will do the same for you.

Why not check out the food, the fun and the fancy décor of Amelia's Kitchen in Teele Square every Thursday night from 7pm to 9pm. My piano and I will try to entertain you while you enjoy the finest Italian cuisine this side of Abruzzi! You can email Jimmy directly at jimmydel@rcn.com.