I don't know how many of you ever watched Cheers on TV during the 80's, but I love that show. My dad used to let me stay up late just to watch it with him many times. Now one may think that it wasn't the best show for a lil chap like me to be watching (I was under 10 when I started watching it), but I'm glad my pops and I watched it.

One day a few years back, I went to work and faced a day full of special conference meetings for my clients (I was working as a psychologist for the State of California)...these are conferences where other staff members and I meet to discuss treatment issues and such. Well, during this particular day, we all were just relating so freely at one point in between meetings that I suddenly busted out with: "Man, this feels like Cheers! Has anyone seen Cheers?!" Everyone in the room had and we had a great laugh and started to talk about all the characters and such.

That moment really did feel especially like Cheers because it was all about just relating without pretense or inhibition...just like on the show. Everyone in the same boat, everyone flawed, everyone accepting, everyone laughing even though so much crap is going on around us, everyone caring and sharing.

Well, life in general should be like Cheers...walking into the bar of life with both the good and the bad...sitting at the counter and relating to everyone and everything around you in a genuine way. It's chaotic sometimes, funny, sad, upsetting, exciting, beautiful at others. But it is friendship, it is caring, it is gracious. So I raise a glass to all my friends in a toast to our relating...and I say, "Cheers!"

Here are the lyrics from the Cheers theme song:

Making your way in the world today

Takes everything you've got;

Taking a break from all your worries

Sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

All those night when you've got no lights,

The check is in the mail;

And your little angel

Hung the cat up by it's tail;

And your third fiance didn't show;

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

And they're always glad you came;

You want to be where you can see,

Our troubles are all the same;

You want to be where everybody knows your name.

Roll out of bed, Mr. Coffee's dead;

The morning's looking bright;

And your shrink ran off to Europe,

And didn't even write;

And your husband wants to be a girl;

Be glad there's one place in the world

Where everybody knows your name,

And they're always glad you came;

You want to go where people know,

People are all the same;

You want to go where everybody knows your name