If you are anything like me, as soon as it hits midnight on Nov. 1, you start playing “All I Want For Christmas is You.” Christmas is my favorite time of year, but in between Halloween and Dec. 25 is the holiday I take the most for granted: Black Friday. Just kidding; it’s Thanksgiving. As I’ve gotten older and as the kid in me becomes less dominant, I’ve learned to appreciate the purpose of Thanksgiving more. Now, before you go on about how all these holidays are just capitalist machinations to strip us of our money, listen to me for a moment. A holiday, just like any other day, is what you make of it. If you want to say Thanksgiving is just a chance for kids to make hand turkeys or for cranberry sauce to actually get sold, that’s just fine. On the other hand, if you want to say Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude and reflection, that is just as valid.
For me, as a college student, I need these breaks like I need oxygen to breathe. However, I want to do more for my emotional well-being than sleep and eat for five days (and study because, you know, finals). While rest is good, I want to go beyond and utilize Thanksgiving as an excuse to ground myself.
One of the most fulfilling activities is counting my blessings. This is the very on-brand Thanksgiving tradition of giving thanks. But, sometimes, things are clichés for a reason. Gratitude never goes out of style. And, while I am home with my family, I have a lot of my reasons to be thankful right there to thank.
Another activity is reflecting on the year. While Christmas is full of jovial thrills and excitement, and while New Years is about looking to the future, Thanksgiving harbors a solemn, tranquil air of calm. It is the perfect time to reflect on how I’ve changed and grown, as well as where I want to go.
Thanksgiving is also a perfect excuse for cooking. There is something about the activity that relieves stress. Maybe it is my type A personality that has an affinity for step-by-step instructions with room for creative flair. Maybe it is the feeling of crafting something for the people I love to enjoy. Maybe it is the secret tastes I steal from the pie mix. Whatever it is, cooking is great for grounding yourself.
Finally, I want to disconnect from school – from friends, internships, majors, clubs and resumes. I want to spend time with my family and enjoy their company in the moment – without ties or conditions. This is the activity that I have changed my mind the most about, since childhood. When I was younger, I was restless and impatient. I wanted to move on – to Christmas, to friends, to my career, to college. Now, with all those things (minus Christmas) in my grasp, almost daily, here on campus, I can wholly relish in the simple things. The most important things.
I’m excited to enter a new stage in my life in which I can fully enjoy Thanksgiving. Being an adult, for all its troubles, allows me to appreciate the times that resemble my childhood. It is not a longing for the past, for in the past, I never would have enjoyed this time of year as much. It is one of the gifts of having my own, separate life that make the moments at home with my family that much more poignant. Thanksgiving is an opportunity for me to breathe, and I intend to savor it, much like the turkey on the table (sorry, I couldn’t resist).