The holiday season is now in full swing. We have celebrated Thanksgiving, and Christmas and New Year’s are right around the corner.
The holidays are a time that is meant to be spent with family and friends. In my last full year at home, I am beginning to realize how important it is to cherish the time and celebrate together.
Growing up, I did not appreciate the holiday season enough. As a kid, the holidays are an exciting time because of presents and good food. Now, I am excited for the holidays so that I can make memories with my family and friends to take with me to college next year.
I have begun to appreciate the little things that make this season so special. From driving home at night seeing the lights on my neighbors’ houses to the decorated hallways at school to the tree standing tall in my living room, these are the little things that put me into the Christmas spirit.
Underneath all of the physical reminders of Christmas are the people who we spend the season with and the memories we make with them.
Senior year has been full of college applications, English essays and math tests that overwhelm most of our time. The last four months have flown by, and it is important that we slow down and take the time to appreciate the holiday season.
Underclassmen may be struggling in school or at home and envy the seniors who are on their way out of high school in May, but do not rush it. Your senior year will be here before you know it, and you will be asking yourself where all the time has gone.
Some people complain of being done with high school and wanting to fast-forward to graduation and college, but these next six months are going to be gone before we know it. We need to stop wishing the time away and begin to enjoy the smaller moments.
Time is flying, and we are going off to college next fall. It is very easy to rush through the holiday season the same way we have rushed through the first few months of senior year. The challenge is to make the most of the time we have left before it runs out.
This season, I am pressing the pause button on the chaos of school and college applications and taking the time to stop and appreciate the holiday season. It is rare that we stop to appreciate the moment before moving on. Enjoy the people around you and the laughs you share together.
A big part of the holidays are traditions. As always, my cousins and I will wear matching pajamas at my grandma’s on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas morning we will eat egg casserole and open presents at home. These are the traditions we have celebrated every year growing up and the memories I will tell my future kids about.
That being said, it is never too late to start new traditions. My friends and I had Friendsgiving and will be having a Christmas celebration together. These newer traditions are ones that we hope will bring us back together when we come home on holiday breaks next year.
Moving on to college next year possesses a lot of unknowns. What state will I be living in nine months from now? Who will I be sharing a room with? Will the classes be challenging? The exciting thing is that this leaves a potential to make new traditions and more memories.
Ultimately, while you are planning for the future, make sure you are still living in the moment. Make every moment count this holiday season. Partake in traditions, new and old. Take time to enjoy the company of others and make memories.
Merry Christmas! Have a safe break, and enjoy this time.