Thanksgiving 2016

Posted on

I can’t believe Thanksgiving has passed already! It is my most favorite holiday, as all Americans can celebrate together. It is a wonderful reminder to all of us as to how lucky we are to live in this great country.

One tradition I have in my life is to have a Thanksgiving dinner for all of my staff, where we can enjoy food from everyone’s traditions and share a moment without working. It is important to realize that we are all people, and have personalities and lives outside of work. Getting to know each other in a more personal context is fantastic.

At my home, I make it a point to insure that everyone we know has a place to go for dinner. Even if it is a new neighbor, classmate of a child, friend of a friend, we try to open our house to at least one new person a year to make it a welcoming holiday. It is about sharing and caring.

I would also like to thank my Hispanic community for welcoming my practice for 20 years. It has been my pleasure serving, and I hope for at least 20 years more.

May You Live in Interesting Times

Posted on

There is an ancient Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” I think with the results of the United States Presidential election last week, these times would surely qualify. Donald Trump, a billionaire with zero political experience and a decidedly not political way of expressing himself, went from an outsider with a 1% chance of winning last year to the office of Washington and Lincoln.

I am not here to express a political view, but rather to step back and consider what this means in general terms. I try to take inspiration and find the good in everything, and there is a lot of both in this result.

To those of you who think that no one can make a difference in politics, it has just been shown that even if no other politician likes or supports you, it is the American people who get to choose. Put your message out there, and if it resonates with the public, you can win. Trump was outspent and did not have the full support of his supposed party behind him, yet he won.

Many people voted for the first time, or the first time in a while. While I feel the campaigns and the process in 2016 were ugly and a poor example to the world of a civil democratic process, this has certainly sparked an interest in the millenials in voting.

I am hopeful that all politicians take notice and realize that they serve at the will of the people. Maybe they can pull together and actually get things done so that service to their constituents and to this great nation I love will come before party and politics. G-d bless America.