I don't know that I will ever look at Thanksgiving quite the same way again, given the events of Thanksgiving morning, 2006. As dire as the beginning of that post sounds, the reality was worse -- I didn't disclose at the time that the emergency room doctor told me that a delay of an hour getting her to the emergency room would have likely resulted in her death. As a result, I will always have something to be thankful for at Thanksgiving.

And if I were inclined to forget, this local story with national implications would have brought everything back to me -- because Mrs. Bush appears to have had the same problem, though not as severe, that my Paula did two years ago.

And so may I offer thanks this day that I still have my Paula by my side this day -- and that the Bush family matriarch is on the road to recovery from a serious illness. And as I did two years ago, I would like to offer thanks for the dedicated medical professionals who will be on the job caring for the sick this day,