Embracing College Holidays One Last Time

When I was a kid, my parents made every holiday feel like magic. My dad lined the path leading to our door with candy canes and my mom meticulously planned out gifts, spoiling my brothers and I rotten. My aunts and uncles made unforgettable meals while my cousins and I caused a ruckus, showing off our new toys and running circles around the house. 

While living through my moody teenage years, I let the magic fizzle out. I complained about helping my mom around the house and itched to get away from my family in favor of my friends — there was even one Thanksgiving I ditched my family, choosing to go to McDonalds with friends, while everyone else was at home prepping a meal I had now ruined my appetite for. 

I let time get away from me, and I’ve somehow ended up as a fourth-year student writing this in Chicago while I spend my first Thanksgiving away from home. 

I received invitations from people all across the country and had numerous loved ones generously offer me a seat at their table, but finals were coming much too fast, so I declined them all. My mountainous to-do list has me grounded this year. 

It’s my first real experience sacrificing a holiday to prioritize work — something I know will only happen more frequently post-graduation. 

I miss my family. I wish I’d taken it all in. I wish I’d hugged my mom tighter when I left home to come back to Chicago this summer. I wish I hadn’t canceled lunch with my aunt or skipped the fall carnival with my cousins to drink beer with my friends.

You never realize how much these mundane moments matter until you realize they’ll someday be gone. My baby cousins will keep growing up and my parents will keep getting older. The memories of my joyous childhood will slowly fade. 

It’s weird to think about how 10 years ago my brothers and I put out cookies for Santa and made reindeer feed out of oats and glitter. This year, my baby brother will have just wrapped up his first finals at Stanford and my older brother will be vying for time off work. 

I haven’t seen either of them in over six months — it’s the longest amount of time the three of us have ever been apart. I’m aching to spend time with my once-pesky brothers who have now become two of my dearest friends. It’s funny how time tends to do that to people. 

My mind has been rattling, thinking about next year when I’m off in the real world. I might be submitting my own PTO requests and crossing my fingers, hoping to be home for even just a week. Ten years from now, I might have my own family — a husband and a few kids. My brothers might have their own too.

We might not spend the holidays together at all. 

This Christmas, embrace your family — whether it’s your chosen one or the one that raised you — and cherish the time you have. 

Time keeps moving and there’s no way to slow it down, so make the best of it. I’ll offer to pick my brother up from his dorm when his break begins. I’ll wrap presents with my mom and do puzzles with my dad. 

It’s my last Christmas as a college kid — and I plan to soak up every minute.