For those of us who have had the feeling of cresting over a hill, going a little faster than we should, the sudden shock of seeing a State Trooper on the other side provides one of life’s worst moments.

It’s easy to forget to thank the boys (and girls) in blue.

For most of us our only interaction with a trooper is when he or she is handing us a ticket, which hardly leaves us in a thankful mood.

But, if we could have all been in Vaughan Regional Medical Center this week as four troopers roamed the halls giving out teddy bears and a little Christmas cheer to kids spending the holidays in the hospital, maybe it would make that next ticket we get a little easier to take.

The picture on the front page of Sunday’s paper said it all, that little smiling girl clutching her bear like it was already a precious member of the family. The troopers made some very sick little kids feel a lot better at Christmas and for that they deserve our thanks.

Though if we really wanted to do them a favor, maybe we could all promise to slow it down a little this holiday season.