Recipe for a Happy Thanksgiving

When our oldest son was old enough to talk, he would rush into our bedroom at sunrise and say, "sun up, daddy up."  I never needed an alarm clock.  Every day was like Thanksgiving.  We taught our children that grumpies are not allowed in our home.  We set up a ritual for exterminating grumpies on rare days when they invaded.  No matter where we were, if the grumpies showed up, our children had to wave good-bye to them.  At times, they were stubborn and didn't want to leave, but my wife and I were more stubborn.  We were the ghostbusters of the grumpies and we didn't care how foolish we looked in public.

Holidays can be tough for people; there may not be anyone around to say, "sun up, daddy up."  It's so easy for the grumpies to attack us.  Follow this recipe to put the Happy back in your Thanksgiving:

1. Your mind, body and spirit need the right amount of ingredients to be happy.  Give them the same care and attention you give your turkey.  Allow your body to get 8 hours of sleep every night.  Exercise 30 minutes per day.  Read something uplifting every morning when you wake up. 
2. Give something away to someone who has a case of the grumpies.  The best gifts are your time, your talent or your treasure.
3. Make a list of 50 things you are thankful for and read it to your family when you sit down for your Thanksgiving meal.  Encourage your family to make their own list.  Click here to see my list from a blog story I wrote at the beginning of the year.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.  I'm thankful you visit when you get the opportunity.  If you have a recipe to share about how you put the "Happy" in your Thanksgiving, please share in the comments section.