This past Friday night, I watched my son play his heart out in the snow at his football game. I sat in the stands and was thankful for his good health and his determination to play.

Every year at this time, I start to count my blessings for the year. As always, my thoughts go to my health, my family, my friends and all my patients for another year of living.

All of us have a story. As a prominent speaker states, at one time or another in our lives we will have what he calls a "Dark Night of the Soul." It comes in different forms and in different ways, but one thing is for sure - it will and does come. We will need our spouses, our children and our family and friends to get through this challenging time.

As many of my patients will tell you, it is their family, friends and faith that carry them as they journey this road. They would not be the people they are today without them. My oldest son always says that we are molded by the five people we are closest to. During challenging times, I am sure he is right.

If you are surrounded by courage and strength, you will exhibit those characteristics and you will heal. If you are surrounded by fear and defeat, your ability to heal during crisis slows down significantly.

Now, don't get me wrong - all of us experience a loss of hope and despair at times. But it is during these times that those closest to us step in to carry us. These people are so important to us, and they deserve to be honored for the role they play in our lives.

This Thanksgiving, make sure you tell your loved ones how thankful you are for them and for all they have done for you.

As physical therapists, we see this play out in the clinic every day. People are facing the challenges of life, and the dark night of the soul is often at hand as they struggle physically for complete healing of their injuries or diseases. They fight to find the strength to endure the pain, the fatigue, and the putting one foot in front of the other. They often feel too weak to exercise, eat right or make healthy decisions.

This is where our team of physical therapists enters the picture, to work with the family to fight for restoration. Our specialty is physical health, and that is what we do every day. We understand the pain and the need for help, but sometimes the hardest thing to do is ask for help. This is where the closest people to the one who is struggling need to step in and become advocates.

If you are a family member, sometimes it will be through your pushing and prodding that they come to know that they need help. Don't be afraid to say the hard things, and never give up on the ones you love. You can give them a vision and a hope for physical healing. They need you and we need you as part of our team.

Sheree DiBiase, PT, and her staff at Lake City Physical Therapy can be reached in Coeur d'Alene at (208) 667-1988 and in the Spokane Valley at (509) 891-2623. We want to express our thankfulness for our families, friends and our patients at this special time of year!