On the other hand, as I write this Editor’s Page , the leaves are starting to fall, pumpkins and candy corn have appeared on the shelves of local stores, and I am reminded that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I know that this is just an American holiday, celebrated in the United States but not around the world. However, my mother grew up in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and I went to college and medical school while living in western and eastern Massachusetts, respectively. I recall being taken, as a small boy, to visit Plymouth Rock and the Plimoth Plantation. My parents lived on Cape Cod when they first retired. Accordingly, I am quite familiar with quaint New England villages, fall foliage, long winters, and an extended “mud season” that often substitutes for spring. In that part of the country, they still take Thanksgiving quite seriously!

However, the purpose of this column is not to discuss my travels, early American history, or the celebration of a uniquely American holiday. Rather, as the calendar turns toward the end of 2010, I think it fitting to reflect on why I (and in some manner, all of us) have a number of reasons to be thankful.

Let’s start where we should start—with family. I am blessed to have a wonderful wife, healthy children who are doing interesting things with their lives, and the cutest 3-year old granddaughter ever. From that perspective, I am a pretty lucky guy. I realize that the readership of this Journal reflects a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and experiences. However, we all have family, whether parents or siblings or children or all of the above, and we can all be grateful for the way in which our families have enriched our own lives.

Most of us also enjoy spending time with friends, and collaborating with colleagues. One way or another, we learn from interacting with other people, and they too enrich our lives. I have some very good friends, and you know who you are. Some of us have a few really close pals, while others have a large circle of friends. Some of us get along well with all of our co-workers; others do not. Regardless of the details, imagine how much less interesting our lives would be if we did not have other people with whom to interact and from whom to learn. Many of us spend time in the communities in which we live, and enjoy taking part in community activities with our neighbors and friends. Again, these experiences bring added dimensions and meaning to our lives, and give us reasons to be grateful.

In spite of the “bad news” that we can see all around us, there is also plenty of “good news”, if we know how to look for it. In the current economy, finding jobs is challenging (my youngest daughter recently graduated from college, and I am well aware of how hard it is to find employment), but most of us can be thankful that we work in a field that is not likely to become obsolete. Many of us would like to be paid more for the work that we do, but I suspect that most readers of this Journal do earn enough to live comfortably—at least, we do not have to worry about being able to buy food or to find safe shelter. More importantly, we have the opportunity to do noble work on a daily basis, to help care for others and to help them live their lives more comfortably and enjoyably. I would imagine that it ought to be satisfying to do any job well— whether that job involves selling cars, or running a Fortune 500 company, or serving in government, or building houses. Not everyone finds a career in the field of medicine equally attractive. However, I would imagine that those of us who do work in the medical field find special joy in being able to deal directly with people in need, and to help them lead healthier and more enjoyable lives. In my own professional career, there have been many high points—teaching younger cardiologists, carrying out interesting scientific investigations, contributing to the American Society of Echocardiography in a variety of ways, and helping to carry on the fine traditions of this Journal . Nonetheless, I still get tremendous joy from caring for my own patients, some of whom I have followed for many, many years, and from helping to look after their health. This is a special privilege for which I am very grateful. I suspect that many readers know exactly what I am describing, and have similar reasons to be thankful.

I would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge my gratitude for the exceptional people with whom I work on a daily basis in my role as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography ( JASE ). I will name some names, but want to make clear that this is not a complete list, and that my thanks go to all who have helped to make the Journal what it is. It is fitting to start with Founding Editor Harvey Feigenbaum; if not for his insights and enthusiasm for the value of cardiovascular ultrasound, many of us would not be doing what we are doing today. Although the quote has been attributed to earlier writers, Sir Isaac Newton is reputed to have written (in 1676, in a letter to his colleague and rival Robert Hooke, an English philosopher and scientist who articulated the law of elasticity upon which strain echocardiography is based), “ If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants ”. There is no question that the strong foundation of the Journal is due to Dr. Feigenbaum’s wisdom and standing in our field; those of us now entrusted with carrying on what he started are fortunate to have strong shoulders upon which to stand.

I am also exceptionally fortunate to work with JASE Deputy Editor Victor Mor-Avi, PhD, FASE and Associate Editors Julius M. Gardin, MD, FASE; Jonathan R. Lindner, MD, FASE; Sherif F. Nagueh, MD, FASE; J. Geoffrey Stevenson, MD, FASE; and Alan D. Waggoner, MS, RDMS. These dedicated experts, with whom I discuss every manuscript, make my job vastly easier, and they contribute tremendously to the quality of the Journal . I am enormously grateful for their wisdom and their dedication to our profession. The JASE Editorial Offices, located in Morrisville NC, run smoothly because of the skill and efforts of Chelsea Flowers and Cathy Kerr; while my own office and theirs is separated by several time zones and many miles, I am thankful for their efficient support and assistance, and for that of other ASE staff with whom I often interact. The JASE Editorial Board includes a group of 45 skilled and dedicated reviewers (to save space I will not list each by name, but the list can be found in each print issue of the Journal and also on our website). I am grateful for the dependable support, and wise and articulate advice, that each has provided repeatedly.

Our large list of peer reviewers (currently numbering well over one thousand physicians, sonographers, and scientists) is another very important resource. I have not had the opportunity to meet each one of these experts in person, but I do feel connected to them through our mutual work. I am thankful for their support of JASE and for their thoughtful advice, which not only contributes to our editorial decision-making process, but also often leads to improvements in the manuscripts that we consider. I want also to express my great thanks for the large number of authors who have contributed articles for publication in the Journal . It is worth emphasizing that we can only publish those papers that have been submitted to us for review and consideration, and I appreciate the regard for the Journal that authors express when they submit their work to us to be considered for publication.

Finally, I am grateful for the patience and support of our publisher, Jane Grochowski, our journal manager, Deborah Stone, and the team of dedicated and skilled professionals at Elsevier who keep our editorial system running smoothly, and who turn manuscripts into attractive publications in a timely and efficient manner. I appreciate their hard work, flexibility, and willingness to help me, a fledgling editor, steer a proper course through the steps in the editorial process, which I did not learn in medical school. Clearly, the quality of JASE is dictated by the quality of the papers we publish; in turn, this depends upon the quality of the work that authors submit, the quality of the input that our peer reviewers provide, the quality of the work that the editors perform, and the professional skills that our publishing colleagues bring to producing the final product. This process takes effort on the part of many, and I am enormously grateful for all who contribute in many important ways.

Obviously, I have many reasons to be thankful as the year 2010 draws toward a close. Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday, please join me in taking a moment to reflect on all who contribute to making your lives as meaningful as they are, and in giving thanks to them. As always, if you have comments or suggestions, I can be reached at jaseeditor@asecho.org .