Right after Halloween, we take our Christmas decorations out and start feeling the winter breeze and spirit. Lights come out and so does our winter attire, even though we live in a tropical island. Right after finals, or in our case, right before, we gather with family to celebrate the holiday season. However, we have to mentally prepare ourselves to answer the endless amount of questions our relatives ask every year, which is harder than any final exam we’ll ever take in our lives.
1. Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
We can all agree this is the most annoying question, especially if you’re an LGBTQ+ person who still hasn’t come out to their family. Let me guess, you’re just focusing on school, right?
2. What are you majoring in?
Personally, this is my favorite. Seeing their reactions when I tell them I’m majoring in English with a certification in Secondary Education never gets old. And the follow-up questions: “REALLY?”, “WHY?” make me rejuvenate. Feel the sarcasm?
3. When are you graduating?
No matter how many times your relatives have asked you this question in the past, they’re still going to ask you over and over and over again. It’s almost like they enjoy it.
4. When do you finish the semester?
Given that we were recently hit by Hurricane Maria, this is inevitable. Even long before classes resumed, my relatives were already asking me this question. And it’s physically and emotionally painful having to respond because it is a constant reminder that Christmas break is CANCELLED! *sad reacts only*
5. What are you planning to do with your life after you graduate?
I still haven’t figured out how I’m going to get through the rest of the evening, let alone what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. Graduating into the worst job market in all of the U.S. isn’t something I look forward to.
6. Who did you vote for?
Okay, no matter which presidential or gubernatorial candidate you supported or even voted for, I don’t want to talk about politics at a family gathering. We’re supposed to be having a lovely and relaxing evening and politics only gets our blood pressure up, and plates might end up flying.
7. -Insert sarcastic question about one of your deep insecurities a relative just asked-
It never fails that one of your relatives spends the evening taking jabs at you, and all you can do is sit there pretending everything is alright. If you thought your already shattered self-esteem was going to come out of this unscathed, you were dead wrong.
The things we have to put up with for free food and alcohol…