The winter season is no joke for our health and well-being. It’s always this time of year when the flu gets passed around like candy, and that lurking dry cough comes creeping in. However, I find that winter can also be a time when we feel more alone. The days get shorter, we spend less time outside, and we lock ourselves in our rooms, like we are in hibernation with the campus squirrels. It’s a time when mental health can be at its lowest, when we feel like there is no one by our side, even though we are surrounded by people on campus. I’m here to show you that you aren’t alone, and that there is a hidden community not only on campus, but in society.Â
Have you ever noticed that when you walk into almost every building, there is always someone there holding the door? Sometimes it’s a student and other times it’s an employee making sure you get in. It warms my heart on these cold winter days when someone is kind enough to notice me walking and choose to take time out of their day to hold the door open. Or what about when you are walking to class, and you make eye contact with someone, and instead of looking at you weirdly, they smile, or even better, wave. It’s the little gestures that sometimes fill us up when we are feeling low.Â
Our community doesn’t just hide behind small gestures; it also shines through our sisterhood. (even if you aren’t in a sorority) For instance, have you ever cried your eyes out in the bathroom and had a group of girls walk in on you? I’m talking breakdown type of cry, the stuff that makes your eyes look red for hours and your makeup ruined for the day. Instead of saying anything, they just give you your space, allowing you to feel safe and comfortable, even if you are sobbing on the toilet before class. When the time is right, they may even come up to you and hype you up so you can feel better about yourself, even if they have never met you before.Â
Community can be a difficult topic to talk about. I know everyone at every orientation meeting they have been to has heard about an everlasting community that shapes lives. But, sometimes it’s hard to find yourself in the community. You hear everyone and their mother say that there are so many resources to go to, and you know how to use them, but it’s the act of actually reaching out that makes it so tough. This mental constriction that we create for ourselves is what leaves us feeling so alone all the time; the fact that it is cold and dreary outside doesn’t help it. However, sometimes you don’t need to join 500 clubs to know that there is a community around you. The community that we glance over every day is our students, our faculty, and with that, humanity itself. While humanity can be cruel and dark at times, the community we create within ourselves simply because we are human is something so special to witness every day, even if it is just holding the door for someone just to be nice.Â
So, to anyone who is reading this who is feeling extra alone during this time of year, just know that there is always support from the community that we typically brush over. And always remember, hold the door for the person behind you; it makes a much bigger impact than you think.