With the start of October upon us, we’re nearing the holiday season. This weekend is Thanksgiving, which is a good time for us to reflect on the past year and what we have to be grateful for.
As university students, midterm season can be a very overwhelming time of year, so it’s super important to remind ourselves to take a break and remember there are things to be grateful for. Specifically for students, there are a particular set of blessings that come with this time of year.
Here are what I would consider the top six to be.
No COVID restrictions
It’s safe to say everything over the past two years has looked a little bit different due to the pandemic, and the holidays are no exception.
With COVID restrictions, many of us have been unable to have large family gatherings on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this year is different. Being thankful for no restrictions in gathering limits or mask mandates is essential this holiday season.
We can finally get back to celebrating the holidays the way we used to with the people we love—exactly how it should be.
Reconnecting with family
While living on our own gives us a sense of individuality, being alone and away from our families for over a month can feel isolating at times. During the holidays, we can be thankful for the opportunity to spend time with our families again.
Those who live in the area and are headed home should be especially grateful—some students don’t get the opportunity to go home for the holidays.
Warmer weather
Typically, when October rolls around, people start to pull out their boots and jackets to compliment the chilly weather.
This year, however, has been surprisingly warm, especially during the afternoons. While that may be attributed to climate change—something we should really be paying more attention to—we can look to the positives and be grateful for the opportunity to spend time outside, go for walks, or be active outside with family and friends.
Guilt-free naps
Let’s face it: for university students naps are inevitable. Nothing feels worse than the feeling of waking up from a nap during a busy school week, knowing you should’ve been productive instead of escaping your stress by diving into your bed.
During fall break, however, you can take an afternoon nap with no consequence, no stress, and no obligations. You have the entire week with no work to fully appreciate the superiority of naps.
Home-cooked meals and leftovers
Say goodbye to dining hall food or self-prepared student meals, because going home means home cooked meals! There’s absolutely nothing better than being able to go home and eat a delicious meal prepared by someone other than yourself.
Also, typically Thanksgiving dinner consists of many different courses and a delicious dessert, which is not the typical dining experience for university students—especially first years.
Not only are Thanksgiving foods a blessing, but so are the leftovers. It’s one thing to have delicious meals cooked for us during our time at home, but it’s another to have good food to bring back with us to Kingston.
Leftovers or less nights to cook for? It all sounds the same to me.
A break from school
Last but not least, with Thanksgiving comes a break from classes. Yes, there will be lots of other work being done, but having a mental and physical break from learning new content is always great. If a full disconnect isn’t for you, you can use the time to catch up on readings
and/or assignments.
***
It’s imperative to remember to count our blessings each season of the year, but even more so at Thanksgiving; after all, it’s the season of reflecting on our blessings. If this year has been especially difficult for you and you’re struggling to come up with things to be grateful for, hopefully you can relate to something on this list.
For me, I’m thankful for anyone taking the time to read this article.
Tags
COVID, family, Thankful, Thanksgiving
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.
