With one week until Christmas, I have started to feel sad. Now don’t get me wrong, Christmas time is my favorite time of the year, and by far my favorite holiday. But I think we can all agree that the best part of Christmas is the preparation leading up to it. To be honest, I don’t even really love Christmas day following the morning festivities. This year I am feeling particularly blue because having been at college I feel like I was cheated of my usual Christmas traditions. I didn’t get to buy the tree and decorate it with my family, I haven’t gotten the chance to go ice skating at crown center, or watch as many Christmas movies as I would’ve liked.

So I have decided that maybe, just maybe, I’m being a little bit dramatic. And while I am a still nostalgic for a simpler time, I have decided to look at this week before Christmas, as a challenge for my capacity of Christmas Cheer. This week I am going to try and fit as much Christmas in as possible. If college has taught me anything, it is to not take the holidays for granted. Right now, I am sitting by our lit up tree, watching A Christmas Carol, reminding myself of how lucky I am to be warm, happy, and home for the holidays. To know that just a 20-minute drive from where I am, people are sleeping on the streets, in freezing conditions, should reinforce gratitude for my own life.

After all, Christmas is about recognizing and being thankful for what you have. As cheesy as this sounds, I think that this year I've learned that the Christmas season is really just a state of mind. 2016 has been a hard and confusing year for so many people and saying “we need a little Christmas- right this very moment” is an understatement. I have brought it open myself to carry Christmas into the new year and on. The love, joy, and hope that comes with the holidays are truly remarkable. If anything, it would be my goal as a human being to embody the spirit of such a cheerful season. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter if it's a week before Christmas or mid-June; if I have joy, a carol to sing, and warmth in my heart, Christmas is ever-present.