Dear Patients,

Every Thanksgiving, my family gathers at my house. It's usually a large group, 15-20 people; it starts at 4:00 and ends hours later. It is full of traditions, and one, in particular, is a brief prepared talk that I give before we sit down to eat. This year, we were fortunate to be able to have our feast outside on our driveway for our smaller than usual group. Despite this, it was a unique and very memorable event.

Aircraft pilot chatter, here is how it goes:

The captain will say to the co-pilot as they hand off control of the plane, "You have the controls" and the co-pilot will reply "I have the controls" (thanks SB for the edits). And so, from that point on, everything the co-pilot does affects the plane - direction, altitude, speed, etc. You are the pilot of your life; you are in control -- you decide.

·      You decide how hard to work or not to work.

·      You decide not to be judgmental.

·      You decide to give kindness.

·      You understand that you get what you create.

This has been a challenging, anxiety-provoking, unusual year. Nonetheless, we were never hungry, we always had a roof over our heads, we were warm when it was cold, and cool when it was hot, but most of all, we had each other to fall back on. I am so grateful for my family, our health and that we can always count on each other, no matter what.