Thanksgiving can be a tone-deaf holiday. As the year draws to a close, things don't seem to be going well for a lot of us. Whether our concerns are as grave as the political milieu of our country, as mundane yet end-of-the-world-inducing as finals or even as simple as adjusting to daylight savings time, there is just about always something picking at the deep space in our brains. And then — as if to counterbalance all this — comes a holiday that offers us the emotional equivalent of a no-good therapist: just eat and be grateful. Although Thanksgiving is sometimes seen as a superficial holiday preaching forced positivity, it is still an opportunity to appreciate small things and shape the holiday in ways that are unique to each of us.
If food and gratitude are the turkey of a Thanksgiving dinner, then it cannot be denied that there are side dishes: relatives in town can play the cranberry sauce; football or other merriments can be the bread. However, for those with tenuous family relationships or apathy for sports, Thanksgiving may very well be more of a chore than some of the calendar’s other, more promising holidays. Thanksgiving, for some, might be the ugly kid in a class photo.
At Hopkins, this sentiment becomes especially clear after fall break, once classes resume. Some students admit, with looks of gloom, “I spent the holiday in lab,” or, “I just worked.” For students who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, this is entirely understandable. But for those who do consider it their holiday, such responses often lack any trace of the day’s intended spirit of rest and reflection.
What is the essence of Thanksgiving, after all, if not the glammed-up trimmings of proper food, sports, obligatory catching up and often empty notions of thanks for the blessings received? It seems that at some level, amid the gloss, there should be some spirit or substance of the holiday that all people — regardless of background or belief — can rally around.
The answer involves downsizing and looking right in front of you, where it’s been all along like misplaced and forgotten household objects: small joys and small gratitudes.
No matter where we fall on the spectrum of holiday enthusiasm, finding something to be grateful for carries its own quiet power. Maybe it’s a friend who makes the week a little brighter or a particularly pretty sunset on the way home. During times of fatigue and near burnout, noticing the small good things can be its own form of survival. Despair does nothing and while an occasional crash out can be cathartic, constantly fixating on the bad rarely moves us forward. Hopkins grind culture can almost convince us that being perpetually stressed means we’re accomplishing something but, in reality, balance is part of success.
You may decide to spend this Thanksgiving in any number of ways. At the heart of each of them is the basic act of contemplating your own journey and pinpointing the good that brought you here. A portion of that is self-care: ensuring you take a break, particularly as we approach exam season. We all know “work hard, play hard”; few of us, however, seem to take it seriously. This week, we want to remind you to safeguard your wellbeing even as you work hard — and maybe put down at least one of those many Celsius energy drinks. Whether you are traveling, enjoying family time or just having a warm and cozy night in, being mindful of the time that has passed can help you see your efforts in a different light and fuel you through this last push to winter break.
So, from the Editorial Board to you: Find at least one opportunity to express gratitude. Let it warm you and carry you through these next cold, demanding weeks.
