With Thanksgiving behind us and enough turkey, ham, and stuffing in our bellies to put us in hibernation, it is officially Christmas time! While it is a joyous part of the year, it can also be stressful with finals and projects.
While I was home for Thanksgiving, my family and I put up the Christmas tree and decorations on Black Friday. It’s a tradition and quite honestly brings us closer together. We put 106.7 on the radio to listen to holiday classics as we struggle to find space on the tree for all our ornaments. We have tons of ornaments that my sister and I made, ornaments older than I am, and a couple new additions we have accumulated over the years. As we were dancing around our living room singing Christmas songs, our cats swatted at any ornament they could get their paws on. The newest addition to my family, Ash, a grey and pink feisty one year old cat hid under the tree waiting for something to drop.
Performing this family tradition truly reinforced what the holiday season is all about for me. Family. Before I lived on campus, tree decorating was still fun and games, but I never cherished it as much as I did this year. Being away from home made me closer with my parents and sister. While I love the independence and freedom, there’s comfort in knowing they’ll always be there for me, especially when I need them the most. The past couple weeks have been quite stressful with classes, projects, and internship hunting.
As I’ve mentioned in previous pieces, I have a type A personality. I like to plan, organize, and know exactly what is being asked of me. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t work like that. You never know what questions are going to be asked in interviews, and sometimes, you have no idea what is being asked on exams because professors like to throw curveballs, even though they give you a list of topics to study from. I’m usually good at managing my tasks, but it can be overwhelming. Meditating doesn’t always work because my thoughts are running in a million directions, so I need someone to talk to. That’s when I know I can turn to my family.
My father is an engineer and understands how hellish engineering classes can be. When I’m freaking out about classes, I know I can call him and he’ll talk me down. My mother knows me well. When something is wrong, she knows just what to say. My sister. Oh Elise. She is the bread to my butter. The PB to my J. I don’t know what I’d do without her.
Holiday season can be stressful. But it doesn’t have to be that stressful. Enjoy time with family and friends. While you’re in Hoboken, go out with your friends. Make memories and go to that restaurant you always wanted to go to, or visit the tree in Rockefeller Center. Your family may behave differently than mine and that’s okay. Whoever your support system is, tell them how much they mean to you. They will appreciate it.
Happy holidays and see you next semester!
Senioritis is an Opinion column written by one or two Stevens student(s) in their last year of study to discuss life experiences during their final year at Stevens, and other related subject matter.
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