Giving Thanks

It is the day after thanksgiving here in the U.S. Many of us have been with extended families eating obscenely large amounts of wonderfully homecooked meals and desserts and remembering what we are thankful for.

I have a LOT to be thankful for right about now. My surgery was a success and I'm still healthy. More importantly my sister is doing well with her new kidney, and we are both thankful for that, and for our children and our families (our entire family was incredibly helpful and supportive to the both of us - it's amazing to have a family like that)!

Like I said, I have a lot to be thankful for. And yet, I'm also rembering that today is a year to the day since John Vlissides passed away after a long-term battle with cancer.

John was not only co-author of THE seminal work on Design Patterns, he was also the series editor for the SCM Patterns book: he encouraged Steve and I to write it and was a mentor to us both. I would encourage folks to (re)visit the wiki-page created in John's memory.

During this time of year with the winter holidays coming, many of us give money to charities. Before John battled cancer he endured the loss of one of his own children to cancer as well, and his favorite charity was the Children's Cancer Fund (for obvious reasons). This year, I'm also a big fan of the National Kidney Foundation as well as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (both for personal reasons).

Give Thanks! And Give Generously! :)