I come to you today just after the elections, on Veterans Day, and two weeks before Thanksgiving. So, can you guess what message I want to share? Thanks. Great big, king-size thanks.

First, to those who ran in the various local, state and national elections. Thank you. It takes an awful lot to decide to run, I’m sure, and then it takes a special kind of person to see through the many, many months of campaigning and all that goes along with it. I’ve seen and heard the personal attacks. I know that it wasn’t easy for you, or your families. But I want to say thank you for stepping up to do it, whether you won or lost. The rest of us are better off for it. As well, of course, congratulations to the winners.

Second, to all of our veterans. Thank you for signing on that line and taking that oath to serve and protect our country. My family is filled-to-the-brim with veterans (most proudly, of course, my Marine husband) and as the child of a career military officer, I know that serving your country isn’t the easiest of careers. We travelled the world and were without my dad for long periods of time, so I say thank you to the families of our veterans too.

Third, Thanksgiving. Many of you are probably very caught up right now in purchasing the foods you’ll need for your holiday feast, and, I hope, making a concerted effort to be grateful this month for what you have all year long. Maybe that’s why Election Day and Veterans Day are in November - so there’s always that little niggling thought in the back of our heads to be thankful that those two days also exist.

And fourth, a personal thanks. Many of you know I landed in the hospital a couple of weeks ago after passing out at home and giving myself a good whack on the head. I am fine – every test they did on me I passed with flying colors and was able to come home (relatively) quickly and lick my wounds in the comfort of my own home.

I was in St. Luke’s (wait … Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital!) and was so impressed with the care I got there. And not just the medical care, although that was top-notch too, I believe.

The people who work in St. Luke’s are amazing. From the nurses and doctors in the emergency room, to the ladies and gentlemen who transport you around the hospital in wheelchairs, to the food service folks (and, not-for-nothing, the food was pretty darn good!), to the technicians (for lack of a better word) who did things like administer scans and drew blood. I was assigned to a bed on the fourth floor, and I don’t have enough good words to say about the nurses, the hospitalists, the managers and the patient care assistants (that might not be the right title – remember, I hit my head!) were all so kind and so caring. They didn’t just do their jobs, they took the time to talk and get to know me, they told me about their families, and we found things to bond over. (Speaking of bonding, one of the lovely ladies who was involved in my discharge gave me some great book recommendations!)

I appreciate the medical care I got, of course. But I also so very much appreciate the personal touch that all the staff at St. Luke’s put forth. No one wants to be in the hospital, but to have it end up being unexpectedly pleasant in so many little ways made a grim couple of days very doable.

Give your thanks this month – this whole month. There is always, always, something to be grateful for.