Thankful at Thanksgiving

Growing up, Thanksgiving meant the same to me as I am sure it did to a lot of you. Family, football, friends and an absurd amount of food. By the time I woke up my mom had already started preparing the stuffing by sauteing some celery, onions and other ingredients in what appeared to be a cube of butter. I would sneak into the kitchen and grab a few of the cookies she had made the night before, and sneak back out to the living room to devour them. I would then enter the kitchen as if I had just woken, and ask if I could have a couple cookies with breakfast. Mom would also say no at first, but I knew if I bugged her enough, she would give in as long as I left her alone so she could cook. I always seemed to figure out how to manipulate a situation to get food.

When my aunts and uncles started to arrive, usually around noon, eating the treats was OK because they were appetizers and we were supposed to eat them. I don't think I was supposed to be eating them in the quantities that I had grown a custom, but what did I care? They were good!

My uncle Jerry was the "Pull my Finger" uncle that always tried to make the kids laugh. He is a big guy, 6 foot 4 inch and probably 300 pounds at the time, and he would take pride in he fact that he would eat Thanksgiving dinner on a platter; not a plate like the rest of us. Of course, when he would pack down two platters worth of food, I was impressed and wanted to be able to do that one day. He told me his "eating secret" once. About an hour before they came over, he would drink a gallon of water really fast. This would expand and stretch his stomach, but the water would work its way out of the body before eating began, allowing him to fit more in his stomach and not feel full. I now regret the fact that I can say I have used this method on a few occasions.

My uncle Jerry has since made changes in his life and seems to have his eating and weight under control. I am impressed and want to be able to do that for myself.

So tomorrow when the cookies are laid out, the stuffing is sauteing in butter, and I convince my younger cousin to pull my finger, I will have a new meaning for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving will be about the 97 people who signed on to sponsor my efforts. Thanksgiving will be about those willing to workout with me, shop with me, cook with me and hold me accountable. And I will be thankful for all the love that they have shown me with their generosity and support.

I have a new "eating secret." It's you. Thank you for being there for me.