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.