Can you believe it is the holiday season already? It certainly seems like it has only been a few months since last Christmas. I guess it is true that time flies when you are having fun or getting older-both of which apply to me.

Over the past 18 months, I have been battling several health issues. None of these were life-threatening, thank goodness. However, they were frustrating and annoying for this type AAA body. My mind said go and my body said stop. The body won. It was frustrating to sit on the sidelines most of the time. During this time, I had to accept help, which goes against my nature. I am a nurse. Like most nurses, I am the one giving the help, not receiving it. Instead of giving help, I was the recipient of help and support.

This time gave me the opportunity to reflect on how much we need each other-not just when we are ill or have a tragedy in our life, but in other times as well. There comes a time when we all need help, whether we are ill, have a new baby, or take care of a family member or as a nurse caring for a patient. We all need help sometimes. I believe as nurses we are not good at asking for and receiving help. We have to get over this.

Without the help of many people, I may not have been able to continue as editor of Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing (DCCN) while I was ill. I learned how to accept help and hopefully, graciously accept it. So I would like to take this opportunity to recognize everyone who helped me during this difficult time with their assistance, support, prayers, warm thoughts, cards, and love in order to keep DCCN running.

I would like to thank the editorial board, consultants, and reviewers who went above and beyond the call of duty. Many wrote more manuscripts, reviewed more manuscripts than usual, and helped me edit some of them. I can never thank you enough for all you did for me.

I must also thank Theresa Steltzer, the publisher of DCCN, for her support and understanding. A huge amount of gratitude goes to Donna Cox with SPi Publisher Services, who does all the copyediting and corrects my errors. I am truly thankful and indebted to all of you. You will never know how much your support has meant to me. All of you are not only colleagues, but friends as well.

This brings me to the second part of this editorial. Please be kind to each other even when they are well and are not in some tragedy. Help each other every day. Sometimes we tend to eat our young. Support, teach, listen, mentor, and assist each other as much as we do for our patients. This is a simple part of caring, but overlooked in our busy, chaotic lives and work. Remember the happy feeling we have at holiday time. Let us keep that with us all year. So, on behalf of the team of DCCN, I would like to wish all of you a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season and 2013. Be well!

Vickie A. Miracle, EdD, RN, CCRN

Editor-in-Chief, DCCN; Lecturer

School of Nursing

Bellarmine University

Louisville, Kentucky

[email protected]