There is a member of my staff who, as an adopted kid, has been known to make the argument that "blood does not make family." In his case, having been adopted at the age of two months, his parents were the only parents he ever knew and, as he puts it, all he ever needed to know. "Love makes family," he'd say.

   So it is also with our figurative families. While it is true that we may spend more waking hours during the week with our co-workers than with our actual families, that nature of close and regular contact does not always lend itself to familial feelings.

   That's one of the reasons the City of Farmers Branch is so special. As a community in the middle of the big city, our citizens are a close-knit group. As an organization, dedicated to serving those citizens, so is our staff. This comes to mind lately as the past year has seen, not only a death among us, but a number of our co-workers enduring losses in their immediate and extended families. In response, we've seen our colleagues rally around their affected friends with words and acts of sympathy, but also with works and acts of support in covering their responsibilities and handling their duties until they could return. Sure, this might be expected in most business environments, but to me, there seems to be an even greater connection among the wonderful folks I work with at the City of Farmers Branch.

   I think it has a lot to do with the dedication these people bring to the table. They have a service mentality and a servant's heart. This lends itself to elements of compassion and empathy that results in lifelong friendships between people on our staff who know their co-workers have got "their back."

I'm really proud to be working and spending time with such great individuals.