Thanksgiving the day has come and gone for 2015.  We stayed home this year, partly cause I will be traveling soon, partly cause my wife had costumes to sew for the church Christmas program, and partly cause we had tickets to a musical in town on Saturday night.  But mostly cause we just wanted a quiet weekend at home.  We caught up on the DVR, had meatballs, mashed potatoes and stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner, did some light shopping on Thanksgiving night at Target and Wal-Mart and the mall on Black Friday, drank some wine and rum/cherry Pepsi, (just us, not the kids) and plan on having a movie day on Sunday.  This is the last weekend were we don’t have something going on or are out of town until I get back from Texas, and that made it important to relax a bit.

Besides, there is a motto in our house.  Just another day.  Holidays, birthdays, etc., are just another day in the grand scheme of things.  Yeah, birthday’s are important while growing up, but as the kids are already learning, you eventually don’t want to have anymore of them.  As for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc., we would prefer if we at least tried to act in the spirit of those holidays all the year round.  Besides, there is really no way to tell for certain when Christmas and Easter actually occurred in history.  We could, and this would be preferred in our northern tier home, just as well have Christmas in July.  Would sure make standing in line for the hot new gifts a lot more enjoyable.

I do take some time to give thanks, of course.  For my family, especially my wife and kids.  Having two daughters can be an up and down affair.  One day they can be such a pain in the tail I’d rather be swimming in acid, with a school of sharks.  The next day they can be surprisingly witty, friendly, and filled with unexpected beauty and grace.  They are, the three of them, my world.

So while we may have left Thanksgiving behind, and are plunging headlong at Christmas, try to remember to be thankful year round.  Be as generous as you are at Christmas, year round.  And be as forgiving, as welcoming in spirit, as you are at Easter, year round.

The world will be a better place for it.