Thankful the other 364 days too!

As we stumble headlong into the holidays, I've decided any tolerance that my body had as a kid for the freezing cold is quickly vanishing and almost gone. "Old people moving to Florida" is no longer a punchline to me. Those lucky farts have reached the promised land. I see that now.

Sure, it is the time of year that the cold is getting more and more intolerable, but on the other hand, at least I am getting fatter than ever.

*cue elephant music from Dumbo cartoon*

I am starting to think all the fall and winter holidays were mostly invented by our barely post-caveman ancestors to allow us to unashamedly eat as much as possible and pack on the pounds and insulation needed to survive the cold.

My theory stands out more to me as I am getting older, since time starts to pass more and more quickly every year (no really, that is a thing). It is a losing battle every year:

• How am I going to get rid of all this leftover Halloween candy?!
• 12 side dishes isn't too much for Thanksgiving, right?
• Eggnog!
• Almost done with all this leftover turkey oh my god Christmas is already here?!
• More eggnog! YAAburpAAY!
• How many snacks should we buy for the New Year's Eve party? BUY AAAALL THE SNACKS!

We should just change "New Year's Resolutions" to "Spring Resolutions". We can make them on April 1st, when the sun starts to come out and we don't need this extra blubber to keep warm anymore.  Plus when we stop keeping the resolutions (like we always do), we can yell "April Fools!".

But think about how lucky we Americans are that one of our biggest winter problems (aside from this ass biting cold) is worrying about losing pounds from too MUCH food. Many in the world don't have that luxury.

I am grateful every day of the year, but I think this holiday, a set day every year to take inventory of how blessed we are is one of our best ideas.

Despite the pains and problems that piled up in 2014, I know I am so lucky and blessed. I know full well how safe and comfortable I am, compared to millions across the globe.  And despite having lost friends and family this last year, I am so thankful for those I still have with me.

I am so incredibly thankful for my wife and kids and my family and friends.

They say we are not truly grateful for what we have until we have lost it. I do not think that must always be true.  We can choose to take stock and be thankful.  And nothing breaks down our ingratitude and taking our blessings for granted more than speaking and acting out for them.

Unless we're convinced our warm homes and full bellies are complete chance or merely from all our own hard work, it would serve our hearts well to remember those so much less fortunate than us.

Let us be thankful for what we have, but more importantly for who we have.

Lest we become forced to realize what we had only after we've lost it... let us remember to take a minute to put down the forks so we can hug our loved ones, tell them we love them and are so thankful they are in our lives.

Tell them to squeeze a little harder than usual, so you can feel it through the extra layers.