On Tuesday when I opened my Facebook, I noticed a status posted by one of my friends saying, “5 more Monday’s until Christmas!” I immediately asked myself, how is it November already? 

In a few short days, we will be heading home or on vacation for Thanksgiving break and spending some much needed and well-deserved time away from our books and responsibilities. This is a time to relax and reconnect with friends and families before the stress of final exams sets in.

With all of the perks of Thanksgiving break contrasted with the impending doom that is finals week looming in the back of our heads, it is important to remember all that we have to be thankful for and make sure we pay it forward this holiday season.

As students, it is extremely easy for us to let negativity and stress consume us. We have tons of responsibilities and many of us are dealing with stressors such as job applications and post-graduation plans. Thanksgiving break should be a time to relax, but it undoubtedly will not be for some.

While we might have realistic problems we are dealing with this season, we should remember that there are people who are not fortunate enough to enjoy something as simple as a Thanksgiving dinner. Even through our stress, we should try to acknowledge those struggles, as well.

This Friday, I will be kicking off my Thanksgiving break by getting my wisdom teeth pulled.

When I first found out that I would be having this surgery so close to the holiday featuring all of my favorite foods, I was pretty upset. Thinking that I would have puffy cheeks, depend on pain medications and not be able to indulge in all of the turkey, stuffing and apple pie I could eat was a sad concept to accept.

Upon thinking about it, I have concluded that if this is the biggest problem I am having this holiday season, then I really have a good life situation.

Judging by the number of food drives, gift collections and charity events I have seen advertised on campus and in our community, it is clear that there are many people who are less fortunate than us. The struggles that other people face make our complaints this holiday season seem so trivial.

This Thanksgiving break, instead of moping around feeling sorry for myself about my wisdom teeth surgery, I am planning on preserving the real meaning of the holiday season: To me, that means giving back to others, even when my situation isn’t ideal.

This includes helping at the local food pantry and showing familial support at an annual Turkey Trot 5K in my hometown. My sorority will also be participating in a Toys for Tots drive this holiday season, which gives Christmas toys to children in need.

We shouldn’t let what’s going on in our school lives consume our energy when we’re on break. We should instead spend time paying it forward to other people who might be less fortunate, even when it is just easier to cloud the holidays with all of our worries, from finals to finding a job.

Challenging ourselves to have a happy and positive holiday season filled with giving back to others is just one small thing that will have a huge impact on the people around us. We need to remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas and let our attitudes and actions surrounding the holidays reflect that.

Remember, no matter if we have chemistry homework, we are getting our wisdom teeth pulled or we are just dreading relatives asking us a bunch of questions, we do not have it that bad.

Rebecca is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].