This is a very special time of year. I’m reminded of my own Christmases as a child when I see the excitement build in my son as he counts down the days. My husband and I do our best to teach him about the importance of giving, so he knows this holiday is about much more than shiny gifts under the tree. It is a time to give, and a time to give thanks for all we have. And it’s a time to help out those who do not have as much as we are blessed to have in our lives. It’s also an appropriate time to thank a wonderful, dedicated group of people that our state is very lucky to have, and that is the 145,000 people who work in our hospitals and healthcare facilities. These doctors, nurses, respiratory technicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, food service personnel, custodians (I could go on and name every job title, but I won’t!) are there for all of us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They work on holidays, when the rest of us are lucky enough to be home enjoying time with our families. They perform miracles each and every day of the week. And they are there whenever we need them.

My family, like so many others, has personally experienced their selfless care. When my son was just a toddler, we were decorating our house for the holidays. I put stocking holders spelling out “NOEL” on my mantle and began to hang stockings from each letter. Before I could hang the four stockings, my son toddled over and pulled the heavy gold “N” down and it hit his head. Blood spurted out, and we rushed him to the local hospital. He was put into a papoose to immobilize his arms and was quickly stitched up. The scar is still there, hard to see, but I know where to look when I pull back his hair. Those heavy gold letters were boxed up later that night and are somewhere in my basement, never to be used again. But the folks at that local hospital were there for us that night, and they are still there for all of us, when we need them. Thank you to all of the dedicated workers in our hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, home health agencies, rehabilitation hospitals, long term acute care hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and assisted living centers. Keep doing the great work that you do each and every day, even as the rest of us sleep or enjoy the holiday with our families. We thank you.