Global CIO: The Thanksgiving Angels Of Flight 3405Global CIO: The Thanksgiving Angels Of Flight 3405

And then the flight attendant reappeared with a conspiratorial grin and a bag filled with snacks for the young soldier to enjoy wherever that night's travels were taking him, and spontaneously several of us tossed more snacks and some cash into the bag. It was just a small way—a tiny way—to say thank you.

So I believe in angels, and I believe they were aboard flight 3405 last night. They were with the little boy who's about to have the chance for a normal life with a new liver, just as they were on the ground with the other little boy whose tragic death in a car crash made the healthy liver available.

Those angels were with the young soldier who so humbly and wonderfully represented the 1,000,000 men and women of the U.S. military who let us sleep soundly, and who would never consider asking the sort of questions that preoccupy me because they're focused on keeping us safe from those who would do us harm.

And I believe those angels are with the flight attendant's warrior son, whose name is David, and with the just-buried mother of the woman across from me who tried to comfort that flight attendant.

Perhaps, on this Thanksgiving, inspired by what they showed me on last night's flight 3405, I plan to show them at least a glimpse of the better angels of my own human nature by giving thanks for my many blessings and by keeping in my thoughts and prayers our men and women in the military, and that little boy facing a liver transplant, and his family, and the woman who'd just lost her mother.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!