Every morning I wake up ten minutes before my alarm. It doesn’t matter what time it’s set to go off – exactly 10 minutes.

I reach for my phone to see if I have any messages. I know, I know, people who check social media before they get out of bed supposedly have a problem or an addiction. “Hello, I’m Scott and I am a Social Mediaholic.”

I heard they are developing a new social media that takes the best of Youtube, Twitter and Facebook and wraps it all into one. It’s going to be called YouTwitFace. Sign me up!

I scan through my Facebook newsfeed and see all the usual stuff. My righty friends are all ticked about Democrats and my lefty friends are mad at the Republicans. All of them post “news” articles from reputable sources like http://www.not-legitimate-journalism.com to support their positions.

SuperMom posts pictures of the trampoline she knitted for her little cherubs using recycled yak fur from only organically fed yaks. Meanwhile, RealMom is rewashing the family dog after her toddler bathed it using the brand new jug of fresh Vermont Maple Syrup.

There are the weather complainers, the “you have to watch this” video reposters and the guilters with their “repost this if your sister is awesome” or “if you love Jesus you will repost this.”

Super Christians post a continuous barrage of bible verses and Joel Osteen quotes. Do they do anything but sit around watching TBN, praying and reading the Bible all day? Man, I’m a big-time slacker! Sing along, “Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our posts, by our posts. Yes, they’ll know-oh we are Christians by our posts.”

I normally post a random tidbit to try to make someone smile. My friend Bill does it too with pictures. He gets me to smile every day.

But when November hits, my newsfeed is full of people being thankful for stuff. Every day they list something they like:

“I’m thankful for my cat, Roger, because he is using the litter box again.”
“I’m thankful that I’m so much better than you.”
“I’m thankful for organic, recycled yak fur and that I am awesome enough to knit a trampoline for kids.”

By the 30th day they start getting pretty lame. They start off strong with thankfulness for loved ones, shelter, food, employment and then go steadily downhill. Day 30 ends up being “I’m thankful for sauerkraut” or “I’m thankful that so many of my Facebook friends post pictures of their food and excellent recipes I’ll never make.”

I’m thankful for all the thankfulness, really I am. It’s a great break from the rest of the year and a nice rest before everyone starts fighting about “Xmas” and “Happy Holidays” and the great conspiracy to take Christ out of CHRISTmas.

I didn’t do the social media thankful thing. I don’t forward things, don’t do snowball wars and never accept game invites. But really, I am thankful.

When I wake up tomorrow, my little house will be full. My oldest son, his wife and my youngest son will have arrived during the night and found their beds. My daughter will arrive by noon along with my parents. I will sit with my beautiful wife of 29 years and we will all hold hands around a table crowded with food to give thanks.

I’ll do my best to thank my God for my second bonus Thanksgiving Day without crying and my family members will smile when I get choked up. We all are indeed thankful because apart from the miraculous hand of our God and the loving sacrifice of my oldest son giving me half of his liver, I would not be here for this day. There were times when each of us thought I would not see one more Thanksgiving, never mind two.

If you’ve been around me much you have likely heard my answer to “how are you?”

“Every day is a bonus day,” I answer. “Every day.” I am truly thankful.

And really, every morning when I lie there reading all your Facebook posts, I am thankful because whether lefty, righty, supermom or realmom, reposter or forwarder, glass half full or glass half empty, I have a connection to you and I like that more than you know.

I am thankful for you.